Jeff Koon (Roberto Guel)

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Gazing Ball (Perugino Madonna and Child with Four Saints)
Project 3
Roberto Guel
Art Appreciation 1301
Professor Angel Castelan
12/10/22
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Art Name
This paper will be an analysis on the painting/sculpture Gazing Ball (Perugino Madonna
and Child with Four Saints) which is made by the artist Jeff Koon in the years 2014-2015. The
painting is currently being held at a place called The New Church and is in Amsterdam,
Netherlands. The medium that was used for the painting was Archival pigment print on Innova
rag paper with mirrored glass and the medium for the Gazing Ball is custom poured, optically
perfect, one-millimeter-thick circle of mirrored cobalt blue glass. The reason as to why Jeff
Koons wanted to create this work was to reflect the onlooker’s physicality by looking through
the globes or “The Gazing Ball” which were to serve as portals where art history would meet
contemporary pop culture. This painting is only complete when there is a person viewing it or
you wouldn’t get the whole experience as Jeff Koon once stated about this painting, “This
experience is about you,” said by Jeff Koons, “your desires, your interests, your participation,
your relationship with this image.” You can say that this is a juxtaposition of the art historical
reference with the onlooker’s present-day reflections which contrast the historical nature of the
painting behind the Gazing Ball.
One element that can be seen clearly is the contrast of the Gazing Ball and the painting
that would be behind it. While the painting is just a copy of the original Perugino Madonna and
Child with Four Saints. The actual work that Jeff Koons made would be the sphere which is
placed in front of an old classic painting to show the difference between the viewer who is being
reflected by the ball and the painting which is an historical art. Although it could also say to be a
union of both the viewer and the painting as putting the reflection together with the painting can
represent the meaning of time and how we transcend it.

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A second element that can be seen on this artwork is the scale in which he made this is
not huge or grandeur as the other sculptures Jeff Koon has made. Jeff has made many sculptures
over his time as an artist and many of them are quite large but this time he went towards
simplicity and is very small compared to others. The idea that is behind it is just as large if not
larger as it shows no matter how much time passes, we as a collective continue to thrive and
transcend time as more exciting and spectacular things keep coming about compared to the time
when these historical artworks were first made.
Another element which can be found in this artwork is the material in which the Gazing
Ball was made of. Jeff wished the ball to be made from glass and be perfectly flat and almost
imperceptibly thin. Since jeff wished to meet these criteria, he went to a research lab at Corning
which was a 166-year-old company with unparalleled expertise in glass and optical physics.
What was produced by the Corning Specialty Glass Plant in Bagneaux sur Loing, France was the
one-millimeter-thick circle of mirrored cobalt blue glass otherwise also known as the Gazing
Ball which is the center piece of Jeff Koons artwork, and it wouldn’t have the depth it does if
there was no ball, and it would just be a copy of a historical art piece.
One more element which can be seen on this artwork is the texture of it. Jeff Koon
wanted for the ball to have a clear reflection of the person who is viewing this artwork. He made
sure to work with the research lab in Corning to make it smooth and clear as possible so that way
there is nothing blocking it from having the clearest reflection it could possibly to fully convey
the message the artist was trying to say with this artwork.
When viewing this artwork, you can really tell what Jeff Koon was trying to convey
through this piece. Although when viewed through a photo or online you won’t have the full
appreciation of viewing it the way it was intended but nonetheless it is quite a magnificent piece
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of artwork which is trying to bridge the time of the historical artwork that is behind the ball and
the modern culture that would be reflected by the Gazing Ball of the person who is viewing it.
An element that is important to the Gazing Ball is relief as it is meant to be seen from the
front. This is quite important as the ball is meant to reflect the onlooker on the ball in the center
of it when looking at the painting behind the ball. If a person were to look at it from any other
direction, then there would be no point to the message that Jeff Koons is trying to convey to any
person that is viewing it.
The shape of the ball is also an element that can be seen in the artwork. The shape the
Jeff chose for the Gazing Ball is a geometric shape, a sphere, there is no real reason as to why he
chose this shape other than the simplicity to make it, but it really feels as if it is a portal as to
bridge the time from the past and how the world is currently with the viewers reflection being
shown on the ball back at them representing modern cultural and how far we have come from
when that historical painting was made.
The last element that can be seen on the Gazing Ball is that it is closed form since it
focuses all the viewers’ attention on the center where they are being reflected on the ball back at
them. Unlike open form this artwork is being made to draw the person attention on the ball and
that person’s reflection to help convey the message and emotion that the artist wanted the viewer
to feel when looking at the artwork.
Overall, this artwork has many layers of depth to it despite it being just a ball in front of a
historical art piece. The message that it brings is one that is unique and amazing as any person
viewing it would see the wonders of how humans in general as a collective can transcend time
even though we are just as vulnerable to it as anything else. However, any person that has lived
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in the past and achieved something great are still remembered just like the person who made the
painting behind the ball.

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Works Cited
https://www.artspace.com/jeff_koons/gazing-ball-perugino-madonna-and-child-with-four-saints
https://www.guyhepner.com/product/gazing-ball-perugino-madonna-and-child-with-four-saints-
by-jeff-koons/
http://www.jeffkoons.com/artwork/gazing-ball-paintings/gazing-ball-perugino-madonna-and-
child-four-saints
Gazing Ball (Perugino Madonna and Child with Four Saints)

Jeff Koon (Roberto Guel)

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Jeff Koon (Roberto Guel)

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Guel 1

Gazing Ball (Perugino Madonna and Child with Four Saints)

Art Appreciation 1301

Professor Angel Castelan

painting behind the Gazing Ball.

represent the meaning of time and how we transcend it.

when these historical artworks were first made.

person that is viewing it.

when that historical painting was made.

to feel when looking at the artwork.

painting behind the ball.

Gazing Ball (Perugino Madonna and Child with Four Saints)

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