Kitschobjekt eller kitschkonst? : A comparative analysis of Jeff Koons’ and Thomas Kinkade’s relation to kitsch

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this essay is to examine kitsch in high culture and Jeff Koons’ and Thomas Kinkade’s relationship to kitsch in their art and artistry and how this relationship affects their status as artists. The study is a comparative analysis based on institutional and sociocultural theory. Tools from Pierre Bourdieu’s study of fields are used methodologically to examine the artists positions in the field. The institutional and social contexts of the artist as well as their art’s materials, motifs, technique and terms of production are being examined. The result of the essay shows that Jeff Koons’ and Thomas Kinkade’s has a close relation to kitsch. Furthermore, it shows that their positions’ relation to the intellectual and commercial pole of the field affects if their art is being valued as kitsch objects or kitsch art. It also shows that this evaluation and consequently the artists’ being more closely related to kitsch objects or kitsch art effect their status as artists. Moreover, the fact that Jeff Koons’ and Thomas Kinkade’s art has kitchy expressions does not affect their status as artist because of the vague autonomy of the field.