Sincerity and irony examined through the work of Jeff Koons

The artwork of Jeff Koons had always seemed intentionally ironic to me. But after re-evaluating his work, I find sincerity. My initial assumption of Koons’s use of irony formed a powerful impression on my understanding of the art world. Further research into Koons’s life and work revealed to me a different perspective, one that has impacted the way I approach my own work and instructional practice. Examining two works by Koons, I show how St John the Baptist could be interpreted as ironic, but the more recent Liberty Bell demonstrates deeper complexity and vindicates the sincerity that Koons claimed all along. Perhaps irony is not always the favourable means of communicating, and sincerity can be used successfully.