LAS VEGAS, July 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Wynn Las Vegas
welcomes Popeye by acclaimed American artist Jeff Koons, as
part of the resort's continued appreciation and commitment to
public art. At 6 feet 5 inches tall and more than 2,000 pounds, the
mirror-polished stainless steel Popeye stands proudly in the
Wynn Esplanade.
To view the multimedia assets associated with this release,
please click
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7270251-wynn-las-vegas-welcomes-popeye-by-renowned-artist-jeff-koons/
The sculpture took two years to create (2009-2011) and was
acquired at auction in May 2014 for a
price of $28,115,000. Koons created
three versions (plus artist's proof) of the famed character, one of
which now calls Wynn Las Vegas home. The sculpture depicts the
spinach-eating sailorman in a vivid spectrum of color.
Since his creation in 1929, Popeye has come to be known as the
ultimate American hero. Audiences throughout the country were able
to relate to the popular muscle-man and identify with the little
guy who became powerful with just a can of spinach.
Popeye came to represent the beginning of Pop Art in the early
60's when Andy Warhol began
depicting him in various paintings. Decades later, Popeye now
represents the end of Pop Art with Koons' latest creation.
"I became drawn to the Popeye image in a very intuitive way,"
Koons said. "I wanted to have a dialogue with art history and with
Pop Art, and also a dialogue with technology and to deal with the
aspect of acceptance."
ABOUT WYNN LAS
VEGAS
Wynn and Encore Las Vegas are two luxury hotel
and casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. The iconic travel
destinations are operated by international resort developer Wynn
Resorts, recipient of more Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Awards
than any other independent hotel company in the world. Wynn Las
Vegas opened on April 28, 2005 and
has been recognized as the best resort in Nevada on Conde Nast Traveler's "Gold
List" for five consecutive years. The resort features 2,714 lavish
guest rooms and suites, more than 111,000 square feet of
state-of-the-art casino space, 14 casual and fine dining
restaurants, a spa and salon and an on-site Ferrari and Maserati
dealership and 18-hole golf course. Wynn Las Vegas is also home to
"Le Reve – The Dream," an award-winning theatrical experience
blending aerial acrobatics, provocative choreography, powerful
performances and elaborate effects. Encore, an expansion of Wynn
Las Vegas, opened on Dec. 22, 2008.
Featuring an additional 2,034 all-suite accommodations, a
72,000-square-foot casino, five restaurants and a spa and salon,
Encore is located adjacent to Wynn Las Vegas. Combined, the two
resorts boast four distinct nightlife and day club experiences,
approximately 283,000 square feet of meeting space and 98,000
square feet of retail space. The resorts feature an array of
publicly displayed art, including works by the renowned Colombian
artist Fernando Botero, Raoul Dufy,
Miriam Schapiro, Frank Owen, Tim
Bavington, Viola Frey and
Kazumi Yoshida. For more
information on Wynn and Encore Las Vegas, visit
www.wynnpressroom.com, follow on Twitter and Instagram at
@WynnLasVegas and www.facebook.com/wynnlasvegas.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jeff Koons was born in York, Pennsylvania in 1955. He studied at the
Maryland Institute College of Art in
Baltimore and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He received
a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of
Art in 1976. Koons lives and works in New York City. Koons gained acclaim for his
public sculptures, such as the monumental floral sculpture Puppy
(1992) shown at Rockefeller Center and permanently installed at the
Guggenheim Bilbao. Another floral sculpture, Split-Rocker (2000),
was installed at the Papal Palace in Avignon, the Palace of
Versailles and Fondation Beyeler. Koons has also received numerous
awards and honors in recognition of his cultural achievements. Most
recently, Secretary of State Clinton recognized Koons for his
participation in the U.S. Department of State's Art in Embassies
program with the first-ever Medal of Art. In 2009, the Royal
Academy of Arts presented Koons with the John Singleton Copley Award, Koons received The
Governor's Awards for the Arts Distinguished Arts Award and
President Jacques Chirac promoted
Koons to Officier de la Legion d'Honneur.
To view the multimedia assets associated with this release,
please click
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7270251-wynn-las-vegas-welcomes-popeye-by-renowned-artist-jeff-koons/
SOURCE Wynn Las Vegas