Voting Station

Mark Kostabi

Please vote to return to collections.

Artist

The Resume

    (November 27, 1960- )
    Born in Los Angeles, California
    Figure in the East Village (New York) art scene
    Founded the Kostabi World studio (1988)
    Designed the album covers for Guns 'n' Roses' 'Use Your Illusion' and the Ramones' 'Adios Amigos'
    Writes the 'Ask Mark Kostabi' advice column for Artnet.com
    Subject of the documentaries 'Bottom Line: The Kostabi Phenomenon' and 'Con Artist'

Why he might be annoying:

    He took the Jeff Koons approach (come up with ideas, hire someone else to do the actual painting) to the next level: he hired a group of assistants to come up with ideas and another group to execute them, and on many paintings, his main contribution was his signature.
    One critic said of the results, 'It looked poor in the 80s and now it still looks poor but looks even worse because the poorness is dated.'
    In addition to paintings and album covers, he (or someone from Kostabi World) designed Swatch watches, Bloomingdales shopping bags, espresso cups and lighters.
    He ticked off a lot of people in the New York art world when he said, 'These museum curators, that are for the most part homosexual, have controlled the art world in the eighties. Now they’re all dying of AIDS, and although I think it’s sad, I know it’s for the better.'
    He hosted a cable access show where artists and critics competed to name his paintings for cash prizes.
    During an appearance on 'The Morton Downey, Jr., Show,' he emptied an ashtray onto Downey's head.

Why he might not be annoying:

    One critic said, 'You have to admire the guy for what he has achieved with very little talent.'
    In 1988 alone, his factory cranked out 1,500 paintings that sold between $12,000 and $50,000 each.
    At 24, he became the youngest living artist to have a work purchased by the Museum of Modern Art.
    He claimed to be a 'social satirist,' spoofing the relation between art and commerce.
    Downey responded by strangling him with a telephone cord until his face turned red.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 12 Votes: 83.33% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 10 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 13 Votes: 69.23% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 21 Votes: 66.67% Annoying