The distinguished curator and long-time Koons friend and collaborator Sir Norman Rosenthal has, for the first time, removed that guard. This important book provides the most revealing portrait yet of Jeff Koons singular personality and artistic vision. Rosenthals masterful interviews, conducted over four years, give unparalleled access to Koons thoughts, disclosing the artist undistorted and in his own words. As well as examining all his major series in depth, from his first inflatables to his latest series on antiquities, the interviews shed new light on the artists interest in other artists works, reveal the significance of his youth and family life on his art, and explain the key concepts of his practice, such as his ideas on self- acceptance, banality, ecstasy and sex.

Jeff Koons is an American artist, who plays with ideas of popular culture, celebrity, taste and commerce.

'Everything is already here' Art as connection to humanity and history ¿ 'The Ball is Going to bethrown to you' Family and the young artist ¿ 'Art Empowers' Inflatables to Kiepenkerl ¿ 'The true acceptance of things Banality and Celebration ¿ 'Looking at internal life in an open, objective way' Easy fun and Antiquity ¿ 'I want to make the grandest gesture that I can' Action and achievement ¿ 'The Ecstasy of smiling' Community, communication, celebrity and commerce ¿ 'I feel things through ideas' A Koons lexicon ¿ Chronology: The Jeff Koons Timeline ¿ Index