Claes Oldenburg

Claes Oldenburg , born the January 28th 1929 with Stockholm, living and working with New York, where it grew, is an artist of the Pop art.

He studies the Art and the Littérature with Yale between 1946 and 1950 then attends the Institute off Art of Chicago of 1952 with 1954.

It develops versions “hardware” and versions “software” of its works. At the end of the Years 1950, it leaves to New York. In 1961, it carries out two exposures The blind and The street . It is interested in the process of accumulation. It rents a store, where, like any tradesman, it puts objects on sale (“ so only I could forget the concept of art ”). It takes part in the process of acculturation, like Jean Dubuffet, refuses to expose in a museum and decides to expose in the disadvantaged districts of New York. Oldenburg, formerly opposed to the institutions, clearly was however recovered today. He would have liked to be “ as free as a flag with the wind ”.

Its objects are carried out in Plâtre (with colors which dégoulinent). He works mainly the topics of the Hygiène and the Nourriture. By these two exposures, it shows its will to return in the street. The first world sculpture of Oldenburg is an immense lipstick (he works much with the Vinyle).

1971 clothes pin

1983 brushes with tooth with Krefeld. He says “the students need hygiene”.

1985, it carries out a monumental sculpture of a boat in form of Multi-fonction pocket knife.

It is very influenced by the metaphorical Architecture. The object for him is almost totemic. Any trace of existence is removed. It defends almost the Supermarché. The step of Oldenburg is close to that of Duchamp with the objects. He will work much with Frank O. Gehry. He is married with the Dutch artist Coosje Van Bruggen, with which he collaborates since 1976 and which requires that its name be reproduced on works of her husband.

Stages in the work of Claes Oldenburg

1953 : first exposure with its drawings
1958/1959: drawings about The Street ; first sculptures
1960: exposure The Street
1961: expostion The Blind
1963: first Software-Sculptures und Vinyl-Sculptures; exposure The Home
1965: first drafts for Giant Objects

Quotations

" a work is not something of beautiful has to look at, its valuer is to be a school of thought. The important thing is the mental image which it prints. "

It is necessary that the painting which so often sommeillé in gilded mausoleums and coffins of glass left to take the surface, smokes a cigarette, drinks a beer. It should be dishevelled, to make him a turn bicycle has, or in a taxi with a girl.

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