Art for iGoogle's Sake

Google lined up nearly 70 artists, fashion designers, and other creative types to contribute art work for iGoogle pages. The move appears to be just another sign that Google is working to make its site a destination.

Marissa Mayer, Google VP, search products, unveiled iGoogle Artist Themes at a reception Thursday night in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, a few blocks away from Google’s NY headquarters. Notable contributors include artist Dale Chihuly, U.K. rock band Coldplay, designer Philippe Starck, and choreographer Mark Morris.

For the occasion, Google brought in some heavy hitters in the art and design world: artist Jeff Koons, architect Michael Graves, designer Marc Ecko, photographer Anne Geddes, and Robert Mankoff, cartoon editor of “The New Yorker.”

Were the artists paid for their contributions? If they were, it wasn’t in Google stock.

“I thought you gave us Google stock,” joked Graves after the other artists explained what working with Google meant to them.

“It’s almost as expensive as Jeff’s art,” shot back Ecko, referring to Koons. (Koons’ “Hanging Heart,” reportedly sold for $23.4 million last year.)