Claes Oldenburg is a Swedish-born American sculptor and artist known for his distinctive and influential contributions to the Pop art movement. Oldenburg's work is characterized by its focus on everyday objects and consumer culture, often creating oversized and playful sculptures of items like hamburgers, typewriters, and clothespins. He used unconventional materials in his art, such as plaster, canvas, and vinyl, to recreate these objects in a way that challenges viewers' perceptions and invites them to see the mundane in a new light. Oldenburg's art often incorporates humor and satire, making a statement about consumerism and the role of everyday objects in contemporary society.
Coosje van Bruggen, his wife, was an art historian and curator who collaborated extensively with Claes Oldenburg on many of his large-scale sculptures and installations. Their body of work often took everyday objects, enlarged them, and transformed them into public art, blurring the lines between sculpture and architecture. Their collaborations included works like the "Shuttlecocks" at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, the "Spoonbridge and Cherry" at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, and the "Typewriter Eraser, Scale X" at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Image: Claes Oldenburg (1970) Bert Verhoeff
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