Claes Oldenburg: The Master of Large-Scale Pop Art
Claes Oldenburg transformed the art world by taking the mundane objects of everyday life—from lipsticks to ice cream cones—and reimagining them on a monumental scale. By challenging the boundaries between high art and consumer culture, Oldenburg moved away from the dominant abstract expressionism of his time to create a spirited, often humorous body of work that remains globally influential.
Early Career and the Birth of Soft Sculpture
Oldenburg's professional journey began modestly; his first recorded sales occurred at the 57th Street Art Fair in Chicago, where he sold five items for a total of $25. Upon returning to New York City in 1956, he immersed himself in a creative circle that included Jim Dine, Red Grooms, and Allan Kaprow. These artists were experimenting with happenings—performance art pieces that incorporated theatrical elements as an alternative to the rigid nature of abstract expressionism.
In 1957, Oldenburg began experimenting with soft sculpture, a technique using flexible materials to mimic hard objects. His first foray into this style was an untitled piece made from a woman's stocking stuffed with newspaper, now known as Sausage.
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Evolution of Materials
By 1960, Oldenburg was creating sculptures of signs, letters, and figures inspired by his Lower East Side neighborhood, utilizing cardboard, burlap, and newspapers. By 1961, he transitioned to using chicken wire covered in plaster-soaked canvas and enamel paint to depict everyday food items and clothing. His first exhibition featuring three-dimensional works took place in May 1959 at the Judson Gallery.
The Pop Art Movement and "The Store"
During the 1960s, Oldenburg became a central figure in the Pop Art movement. He launched his own performance series called "Ray Gun Theater," featuring a diverse cast of collaborators including Lucas Samaras, Tom Wesselmann, Carolee Schneemann, and his first wife, Patty Mucha, who also sewed many of his early soft sculptures.
In December 1961, Oldenburg pushed the boundaries of the gallery space by renting a storefront on Manhattan's Lower East Side. This installation, titled "The Store," was stocked with sculptures designed to look like consumer goods, blending the act of shopping with the act of viewing art.
Expansion into Public Monuments
Seeking a change of environment, Oldenburg moved to Los Angeles in 1963. This period marked a shift toward imaginary outdoor monuments. He began creating small collages, such as a crayon drawing of a giant teddy bear in Central Park (1965) and Lipsticks in Piccadilly Circus (1966).
His first realized outdoor public monument, the Placid Civic Monument (1967), was a conceptual performance involving gravediggers digging a 6-by-3-foot hole behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Later, in 1969, he contributed a drawing to the Moon Museum.
Controversy and Acceptance
Not all of Oldenburg's large-scale works were immediately embraced. The 1969 piece Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks was initially removed from Yale University's Beinecke Plaza. Critic Ellen H. Johnson noted that the work's bright colors and "ignoble subject" intentionally clashed with the sterile, classicistic architecture of the university, opposing levity to solemnity and metal to stone.
Collaboration with Coosje van Bruggen
From the early 1970s, Oldenburg focused primarily on public commissions. A pivotal moment in his career began in 1976 when he started collaborating with Dutch/American art historian Coosje van Bruggen. The two married in 1977 and worked together for 30 years, producing over 40 "large-scale projects." From 1981 onward, all works were signed by both artists.
Their partnership produced some of the most recognizable public art in the world, including the Spoonbridge and Cherry (1988) at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and the Free Stamp in Cleveland.
| Artwork | Year | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spoonbridge and Cherry | 1988 | Minneapolis, USA | Iconic spoon and cherry sculpture |
| Typewriter Eraser, Scale X | 1999 | Washington D.C., USA | National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden |
| Needle, Thread and Knot | 2000 | Milan, Italy | Piazzale Cadorna installation |
| Dropped Cone | 2001 | Cologne, Germany | Inverted ice cream cone on a shopping center |
| Paint Torch | 2011 | Philadelphia, USA | 53-foot illuminated paintbrush |
Architectural Collaborations and Late Works
Oldenburg and van Bruggen also partnered with architect Frank Gehry on several Los Angeles projects, including Toppling Ladder With Spilling Paint (1986) and Giant Binoculars (1991). Their work with Gehry also extended to performance art, such as Il Corso del Coltello in Venice (1985), which later inspired the Knife Ship sculpture.
Key Facts
- First Sales: Sold 5 items for $25 at the 57th Street Art Fair in Chicago.
- Innovation: Pioneered "soft sculpture" using materials like stockings and newspaper.
- The Store: Created a month-long installation in Manhattan (1961) mimicking a consumer shop.
- Partnership: Collaborated with Coosje van Bruggen for 30 years, co-signing works from 1981.
- Scale: Specialized in "large-scale projects" that transformed mundane objects into public monuments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is soft sculpture?
Soft sculpture is an art form where the artist uses flexible materials—such as fabric, vinyl, or stuffed stockings—to create shapes that typically appear hard or rigid in real life.
What was "The Store"?
"The Store" was a 1961 installation in New York City where Oldenburg rented a commercial space to display and sell sculptures that looked like everyday consumer goods.
Who was Coosje van Bruggen?
Coosje van Bruggen was a Dutch/American writer and art historian who collaborated with Oldenburg from 1976 until the end of their professional partnership, co-creating over 40 public works.
Why was Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks controversial?
The piece was seen as a clash of values; its bright colors and mundane subject matter were viewed as an attack on the solemnity and pretentiousness of the classicistic architecture at Yale University.
What are "happenings" in the context of Oldenburg's work?
Happenings were performance art productions that blended theatrical elements with visual art, serving as a reaction against the abstract expressionism of the mid-20th century.