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Despite its familiarity, the playfulness of a Jeff Koons sculpture never fails to evoke smiles from its audience, young or old. In “Jeff Koons: New Paintings and Sculpture,” a current exhibit at Gagosian Gallery in New York, the contemporary shine of high chromium stainless steel is projected onto one of art history’s most beloved subject: the Venus figure. “Balloon Venus” and “Metallic Venus” are two representations of the same goddess, the former bearing a fertile, Willendorf look and the latter carrying the lithe, classical image. The sheen of the unexpected hues bring to light new discoveries that only Koons’s trademark medium can offer, and present a sophisticated step forward from his usual pieces. But for those who delight in the balloon animals, there is still plenty of joy to be found.
