Claes Oldenburg and Pop Art
Claes Oldenburg was a well known figure during his time. Known for his large scale sculptures and thoughts on why he creates art. His work redefined both public art and sculpture by taking everyday items, upscaling, and placing them in unordinary locations that you normally would not expect that item to be in much less that size. Oldenburg liked to celebrate the ordinary and bring more attention to everyday objects and be something more than a piece in a museum. By creating larger pieces and playing with different public spaces he ended up redefining the relationship between art and public space. His importance comes not only from changing public art, but also the materials that artists used by creating with “cheap” or low cost materials that most artists didn’t think of using.
Oldenburg’s name first became known during the 1960’s when the pop art movement was reaching its highest. He wanted to explore the boundaries between what was fine art and popular culture. While other famous artists turned to things like soup cans and comic panels, Oldenburg found inspiration in ordinary consumer goods. Oldenburg opened an exhibition called “The Store” in 1961 where he sold painted replicas of many everyday items including painted undergarments and pastries which were obviously not edible. These objects, though normal looking, incited thoughts about consumerism and mass production that were becoming increasingly problematic during this time. This show set him apart from other artists through his interest in different textures and everyday objects.
During his career Oldenburg’s interest shifted from small scale objects to creating things on an unimaginable scale. One of his earlier well known pieces is Floor Burger (1962), he also made other sculptures in this series being Floor Cone (1962) and Floor Cake (1962), is an example of his use of unconventional materials such as cloth and boxes as stuffing. He thought that if you are going to recreate something around you why not make it into something soft and change shape. This playful approach led to the creation of three objects that are moldable, but all have different textures. From then on he started to create larger scale outdoor sculptures for which he is more known for today. An example of these being Clothespin (1976) in Philadelphia or Spoonbridge and Cherry (1988) in Minneapolis. These pieces became more than art, they became landmarks that integrated into the daily life of the city around them.
Another defining feature of Oldenburg’s works are the materials he used. In a lot of his early work his art consisted of plaster, paper-mache, fabric, and canvas all of which are more associated with crafts than in pieces of art. His softer sculptures like Floor Cone (1962) defied the traditional thoughts of a sculpture which was seen as something more rigid and defined. He deliberately rejected the use of typical mediums and by using these more malleable materials his works started to seem more approachable and enjoyable than the traditional sculpture of Western culture.
As the scale of his works continued to grow, so did the kinds of materials used. For outdoor pieces he had to start using steel, aluminum, and fiberglass to make sure that each piece could withstand time and weather. Pieces like Spoonbridge and Cherry (1988) used aluminum and stainless steel which was used for its balance and durability while Clothespin (1976) used Cor-Ten steel which is known for its ability to withstand corrosion. The use of these materials allowed these pieces not only to stand an art piece, but a permanent landmark.
The materials used by Oldenburg ended up changing the course of history for Pop and Public art. By the use of fabric, foam, and cardboard in his works in the 1960’s he started attacking the barrier between “high” and “low” art demonstrating the use of everyday or cheap materials to create a significant art piece. His goal with creating these pieces was to make the viewer question the importance of everyday items and point out their significance in a consumer society. Later in his career due to the sheer scale of his works Oldenburg had to resort to the use of industrial materials which helped spread the idea that public art is actually accessible and interactive with the community instead of being something that is distant or untouchable.
As of today you can see the influences that Oldenburg has had on the materials used in contemporary art today. Through artists like Jeff Koons, with his massive stainless steel balloon animals, and Marjorie Strider, with her large three dimensional sculptures, you can see his legacy and willingness to enlarge the ordinary have survived generations. Public art as it is now embraces larger and smaller scales as well as interactivity in ways that engage the community while retaining the link to his original execution of interactive art. The use of unconventional materials made way for experimental practices in multiple areas of art such as sculpture, installation, and design paving the way for his influence to continue in modern art.
In the end, Claes Oldenburg changed the boundaries of sculpture as well as public art through his creative use of materials as well as his goal of changing the ordinary into the extraordinary. Ranging from his softer sculptures in the 1960’s to the larger, steel landmarks of his later years he likes to invite the viewers to view common, everyday objects in different ways. By using different materials than what is commonly used as well as embracing the performance in art, he not only played a role in the rise of pop art, but also changed the way that public art is created in the space it inhabits. In most oversized art pieces as well as every day items his legacy lives on reminding us to find meaning in even the small things.
Bibliography
“Claes Oldenburg - 24 Artworks - Sculpture.” Www.wikiart.org, www.wikiart.org/en/claes-oldenburg/all-works#
“Claes Oldenburg. Floor Burger. 1962 | MoMA.” Www.moma.org, www.moma.org/audio/playlist/270/3504
Rose, Barbara. “CLAES OLDENBURG’S SOFT MACHINES.” Artforum, 1 June 1967, www.artforum.com/features/barbara-rose-on-claes-oldenburg-211324/
The Art Story. “Claes Oldenburg.” The Art Story, 2016, www.theartstory.org/artist/oldenburg-claes/