Jeff Koons: Popeye Series

For his first ever major exhibition in a public gallery in Britain, Jeff Koons presented works from his Popeye Series, which he began in 2002.

The works from the Popeye Series incorporate some of Koons’ signature ideas and motifs, including surreal combinations of everyday objects, cartoon imagery, art-historical references and children’s toys. Having used inflatables in his work since the late 1970s, the sculptures featured in this exhibition demonstrated Koons’ continued interest in casting inflatable toys. A key component in the Popeye Series, he juxtaposes these replica ready-mades with unaltered everyday objects, such as chairs or rubbish bins. The paintings in the series are complex and layered compositions that combine disparate images both found and created by Koons, including images of the sculptures in the series.