Jeff Koons’ 45-foot-tall inflatable sculpture Seated Ballerina, installed at Rockefeller Center is drawing big crowds in Manhattan. The appropriation art also attracted some attention in the Ukraine.
Lado Pochkhua, a New York-based Georgian artist, pointed out on Facebook that the sculpture bears a striking resemblance to a porcelain figure created by the Ukrainian artist Oksana Zhnikrup. Zhnikrup died in 1993 and worked for the Kiev Experimental Art Ceramics Factory.
Even though some thought the sculpture should be removed, artist Alexander Roitburd, noted on Facebook that,
“I’m even glad that he’s popularising Ukrainian art. I hope that he named the source.”
A spokeswoman for Koons’s studio said:
“We are aware of Oksana Zhnikrup’s work and have a license to use it for Mr Koons’s work.“
The sculpture was placed in Rockefeller Center in honor of National Missing Children’s Month, and the artist has also created a limited edition Seated Ballerina tin for Kiehl’s. During May the company donate 100% of its net profits from the collection, up to $100,000, to directly benefit missing children.
Koons' "Ballerina" in Rockefeller Center
(via The Art Newspaper)