In 1992, an adamant Koons designated the photographs in his notorious "Made in Heaven" series as "paintings." Consisting of images of Koons and his porn-star wife, Ilona Stahler (aka La Cicciolina), engaged in uninhibited sex, the works were printed with oil ink on canvas, each in an edition of three.
Jeff in the Position of Adam, 1990
The photographs haven't lost their power to shock. There was a frisson even among the predominantly young, laidback Serpentine audience when the painting "Ilona's Asshole" flashed up on multiple video monitors.
Silver Shoes, 1991
Made in Heaven was inspired by Masaccio's The Expulsion - "the guilt and shame on Adam and Eve's faces in the painting. I wanted to make work that showed what it was like to be tranquil and not feel shame about the body. Whatever anybody's history is, it's perfect. It can't be any different. I would tie this to nature."
The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, Masaccio, 1426-27
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