Michael Jackson's meteoric rise to fame was shepherded by television and photographs: the Jackson 5 lead singer broke out on American Bandstand, was immortalized in button-cute photographs as a kid, and became the world's most celebrated pop star with the advent of the music video. But some of his most iconic renderings came not through television, film, or photo, but rather through more traditional media like painting and sculpture. Five works of art that celebrate the star:
Michael Jackson and Bubbles by Jeff Koons. Provocative conceptual artist Jeff Koons has made a career of turning tabletop kitsch and American novelties into megalithic icons, and Jackson was not immune. Koons's porcelain statue of the singer esthetically recalls the precious glass tchotchkes your grandmother might have kept, but the sculpture's message was more suggestive. Part of Koons's Banality series, the piece is outsized (more than six feet long) and depicts Jackson's young, male pet chimpanzee nestled in the singer's arms. It sold for $5.6 million at auction.
King of Pop promotional tour poster. Ever wondering what Lincoln, the Mona Lisa and, er, E.T. would look like in Jackson's signature, oversize aviator shades? Wonder no more: this tour poster was transferred to stretched canvas. It depicts Jackson and a handful of other icons all wearing the same sunglasses and the characteristic rhinestone-encrusted glove. The piece was up for auction in April, before Jackson canceled the sale.
Michael Jackson (born 1958) by Andy Warhol. King of Pop, meet the arbiter of the pop movement. When Time featured Jackson on its cover in 1984, who else to capture him than pop artist Andy Warhol? The artist's signature silk-screening technique immortalized Jackson at the pinnacle of his fame, the same year he won a whopping eight Grammy awards for "Thriller."
Michael Jackson Triptych by David Nordahl. Painted in the tradition of Gothic devotional triptychs, this three-painting foldout showed Michael as a light-bathed, omnipotent central figure and as the subject of both a coronation (at right) and knighthood (at left). The sumptuous oil figures were painted on top of a depthless background covered in textile-type motifs, giving the whole work the look of a regal tapestry.
Peter Pan car-hood decal. Jackson also initially put this electric car up for sale; its hood depicts an elaborate, airbrushed mural of the singer as Peter Pan in the trademark ragged green robes, with a pirate ship, ocean, planets, and stars swirling around in the background. The car also had Peter Pan decals on the seat cushions.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
