Jeff Koons One Ball Total Equilibrium Tank (1985)

9th April 2019

Year one undergrad Postmodernisms critical analysis

Michelle Tjahjono

“I am really convinced you cannot create art. You can’t. You can create culture, and if you create art, it will be about the purity of the idea” (Koons, 2002)

Jeff Koons, One Ball Total Equilibrium Tank (Spalding Dr. J Silver Series)

(Image Unknown, 2016)

Jeff Koons’s approach to One Ball Total Equilibrium Tank (OBTET) was one which acknowledges its parts to Duchamp and the “readymades” as Koons built on objects he encountered in his childhood. He took a fascination in balloon inflatables, flower vases, kitsch ornaments, toys, figurines and then further developed his choice of “ready-mades” by asking the objects how they defined things like beauty, purity, home-ness, and warmth. For example, the flower vases were regarded as the ideal object of beauty, whilst water was seen as the ideal “purity” (Koons, 2002). Koons further emphasised this state by taking the objects and placing them in foreign environments where their defining features would stand out more. He demonstrated this by giving more thought into display and staged exhibitions. For Duchamp, the key attribute that defined the “readymade”, was that the object became valuable by being “chosen” by the artist, but to Koons, he saw that Duchamp’s objects were chosen with blind indifference, which in effect, does not consider good or bad taste. (Koons, 2002). OBTET strips down these conditions of value and presents itself as a fully aware, common but uncommonly present, simple object.

In order to create the permanent equilibrium, Koons searched for and consulted over fifty physicists and none could accommodate Koons’s vision more than the physicist Dr Richard P. Feynman (Nobel prize-winner for quantum dynamics) (Manchester, 2004). Technically, the tanks were filled with distilled water and supported with saline solution so the basketballs appeared to be floating unnaturally in an aquarium held by four legs. Jeff Koons emphasised the need for purity by sustaining a very “womb- like” situation with water.

“Water is very spiritual. The equilibrium tanks used water, and I loved that, In its very pure state its like birth”. (Manchester, 2004).

Side view, Jeff Koons, One Ball Total Equilibrium Tank (Spalding Dr. J Silver Series)

(Art Bridges, Date unknown)

On a more practical view of the basketballs themselves, this purity is only maintained when the objects are untouched, unhandled and unoperated which cannot help but uncover our own tainted, mortal state. And yet, as much as this “womb- like” structure conveys the fertility of a body, it clearly presents itself as far more alien (or entity) than human. The basketball is no longer a functioning basketball and cannot be viewed as an invitation to play a game of basketball (Muthesius 1994). The suspension of the basketball emphasises the permanent availability of the object. It also marks the interruption of time, which confirms the permanent presence even more. (Archer, 2011) Alternatively, time is slowed and is all the more disorientating when we are used to viewing the suspended ball in the tank in two scenarios. One which is stationary, resting on the ground and two, in movement often too rapid for the eye to focus on. The basketball is always there, which touches upon the act of displaying oneself in a protected tank of untouchability which one could argue makes it a highly eroticised object. Its structure being pumped up, hollow, spherical, along with the phallic sucking and blowing, inflating and deflating only stresses its sexual presence. This only increases our desire to interact with it, taint it and see it in its impure, normal state. (Archer, 2011)

The basketball was endorsed by Dr J being “the man who by common consent could apparently stay afloat longer than anyone else in the history of the game was the one to choose” (Archer, 2011). OBTET can be seen as embodying the slow motion replay of Julius Erving’s baseline move where many viewers in America lost track of time and completely absorbed themselves in that moment and in the moments after with replay. Moreover, OBTET exists where our experience of the world is regulated not by its sole appearance on our televisions or computer screens, but by its repeated presence, slowed down, stretched out, and in suspension (Archer, 2011).

However, as much as the purity of the water and the suspension all contributed to the sublime nature of OBTET, the dynamic equilibrium would not exist without a compromise being time limitations which undermines the permanence of OBTET. Whilst it remained possible to keep the ball in permanent suspension, this was unachievable without affecting the aesthetics- the image of the ball effortlessly afloat without other physical support. For the system to be made permanently stationary, this would involve liquids such as oils, which would create a line between the fluids: oil and water which would always visible to the viewer. (Helal, 2014) Koons claimed he wanted the tanks to remain “truthful” (Koons, Muthesius, 1994) compromising oils for a suspension that would only last six months until the balls fall out of equilibrium and the tanks must be reset. Koons even agreed by stating that equilibrium is an “unachievable sociological state of being” (Koons, 1985, cited in Indiana, 1985 p163-64) where OBTET allows us to attach our aspirations onto its surface…for a limited amount of time, making it, alas, impossible to retain and for us to achieve them. In this way, OBTET and its suspension is only available to us until it lets us down, not by faith or magic, but by the laws of physics which will inevitably deliver (Indiana, 1985, cited in Archer, 2011 p23-24).

Furthermore, retaining the original condition of the basketballs which were brand new at the time they were immersed, proved to challenge Koons’s fundamental need to maintain the integrity of the objects he chooses to interact with. (Heartney, 2002) The objects featured in The New (1980-83), were vacuum cleaners which Koons enclosed in monolithic plexiglass cases. The objects possessed an integrity because of how new they were and would not lose this condition so long as it was never used. One cannot help but reference an example of Duchamp’s original “readymades” being the presentation of the urinal in 1919 as art by signing it R.Mutt. However, Koons does not provide any visible sign of his involvement with the work, rather he attempts to reveal and enhance the object’s personality, unaltered even by choosing not to expose the objects to the same air as the viewers. The objects are elevated from everyday life into an immortal shrine of commerce. (Epstein, 2016) It was clear from the beginning that the salt solution would soon degrade the basketballs so it would be necessary to eventually replace them. When the time came, Koons approached Spalding for new editions, but proved to be a challenge as the balls originally used in the tanks, known as “Spalding Dr J Silver Series and Spalding Dr J 241”, could not be reproduced. To compromise, Spalding agreed to manufacture a certain quantity of new balls under the label Dr JK, written in the same font and style as the original Dr J balls. This process of replacing the Dr J basketball with the Dr JK balls results in OBTET being essentially a different work as the object now offers its own psychological, defined character, tarnishing the integrity of the work (Archer, 2011).

Jeff Koons always attempts to use the material to communicate to people in a manner they are familiar with. The familiarity ensures that the audience need not feel threatened by the images so they walk up close and embrace the piece without hesitation. The audience, who are on the receiving end, can then, rapidly make sense of the work in relation to their own understanding of the objects. Moreover, Koons applies his equilibrium on the matter of inclusion, where he is conscious of creating works that do not exclude a certain group or person from the dialogue. His work can target anyone from the young to the old or the male and female. Koons often uses television as a symbol or tool to describe the ease at which OBTET can allow people to enter and enjoy on some level. (Muthesius, 1994) For instance, some people may excite themselves in seeing their everyday basketballs float. For the lower and middle class, OBTET will provide an “ultimate state of rest” (Koons, 1985 cited in Archer, 2011) whether the upper class will gain a new state of confidence. Koons stated that “everyone will be able to get something out if it: it functions for everyone” (Koons, 1985 cited in Muthesius, 1994). Therefore, all members of society benefit. And if they wish, Koons more than welcomes those who want to enter further and enlighten themselves in more abstract ideas using art vocabulary, as he does not intend to exclude those who can see more than one layer of meaning and reference the piece. However, Koons claims his dialogue is more direct than art vocabulary and emphasises his aim to control how the viewer perceives an object by presenting the object in a premeditated context. This essentially, steers the audience away from getting too caught up in aesthetics. Basketball confidently recognises itself as a symbol for a highly accessible (courts are public), socially inclusive (playing is inexpensive and requires no other equipment apart from a ball), competitive sport (Muthesius, 1994).

Jeff Koons stresses his rejection of irony as he aimed to form a dialogue between his work and the audience which avoided any confusion between “what is said” and “what is meant to be said” (Archer, 2011). If the audience focuses excessively on searching the ironic intent of his piece, they become too involved with the aesthetics and place either subconscious or conscious conditions and qualifications that obstruct the initial encounter of the piece. Koons attaches the most important intuitions with the making of the work which are triggered in that initial encounter, which means there are no other values, conditions or qualifications present other than the purely the piece. Foster, (1996) discussed the making of the sculpture by artists such as Haim Steinbeck and Jeff Koons which emerged from sculptures taking value as a commodity known as a “commodity sculpture” (Foster, 1996). Haim Steinbeck was known to produce pieces by working with objects that were obtained from garage sales, car- boot sales, charity shops or picked off from the streets. These objects included sculptures, artefacts and children’s toys where he revealed a different meaning from the object and changed the audience’s perspective about traditional beliefs of display and value in these objects. For instance, the nature of how an object is viewed, now that is has been selected and displayed in a home, surrounded by and adapting its energy in relation to other objects. (Decter, 2014) Moreover, he joins the daily routines of everyday life with the methods of museum display and collection. (Tate Collective, Date Unknown). “Shelf with Ajax” features the household bleach cleanser brand Ajax which perches on top of a wooded shelf with branches designed to support it. There is also a home-like wallpaper of a forest behind the branches (Coomer, 2014). These were inspired by appropriation art which Foster claimed, “assumed an ironic distance from its own tradition” (Foster, 1996)- the tradition being the Duchampian readymade. Whilst Koons presents his vacuum cleaners and basketballs in displays of clean enclosed cases, and practices his reversal of Duchamp’s use on value, these values (aesthetics and use) become absorbed by sign exchange value. Koons suggests people actively worship the Sheltons and Hoovers (not the vacuum cleaners), the Air Jordans and Dr J Dunkenstein, (not the basketball shoes or basketballs). This enthusiasm for the brand name or the symbol undeniably controls our response of art as well. Therefore, we can state that people consume and recognise not the work as much as the value of the symbol Jeff Koons or Haim Steinbach. Moreover, as the artists rose in value in the market, so did the objects rise, adopting a King Midas-like ability with their touch and work. Both artists continued to produce more alien works and displays which aimed to parody the consumerist parade that occurred at the time that president Reagan governed during the mid 1980s, even when they were participating (consciously or subconsciously) in this financially corrupt market themselves. (Foster, 1996) Therefore, a form of value will always exist onto the works where conditions and qualifications to search for things like irony will be expected by the audience, due to the work and artist being branded as Jeff Koons.

Overall, One Ball Total Equilibrium Tank takes the form of life and death, completeness, self- contained purity and the inevitability of soon letting us down. Whilst Jeff Koons could not create permeant equilibrium, he uses OBTET as the planet that humans assemble on, with a surface too held by physics and with our desires and aspirations attached or even suspended. Everyone is involved in this dialogue as we all know too well what it feels like to immerse ourselves in interaction with objects and be talked to by our televisions. OBTET uses its common objects in an uncommonly present state to ask us to see more than aesthetics and asks us of more from our mortal unaware selves.

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Images

Art Bridges, date unknown, Suspension [Online]. [Accessed 6th May]. Available from: https://epma.art/explore

Image unknown, 2016 The spring art auctions: money amok. [Online]. [Accessed 6th May]. Available from: https://exileonpainstreet.com/tag/claude-monet/