1. From Sweden to America
Claes Oldenburg (2012) [Wikimedia Commons]
Born in Sweden, Oldenburg moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Chicago. He became a naturalised U.S. citizen in 1953 and began building his career in the vibrant post-war American art scene.
2. Found in over 40 public art collections across the globe
Claes Oldenburg, Tea Bag, from the portfolio 4 on Plexiglas, 1966
Oldenburg’s work has been widely exhibited and celebrated throughout his long career. His iconic sculptures can be found in over 40 public collections across the globe from leading institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, as well as the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and further afield in collections from Paris to Japan.
3. A Creative Collaboration
Many of Oldenburg’s most recognised public monuments were created in collaboration with his wife and artistic partner, Coosje van Bruggen. Their partnership began in 1970 after meeting during his retrospective at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, where van Bruggen was a curator.
4. The world’s largest ice cream cone
Claes Oldenburg, Dropped Cone, 2001 (Cologne, Germany)Image credit: Casa do sorvete. Via Wikimedia Commons
Oldenburg was known for transforming everyday objects into monumental public artworks. Notable examples include Spoonbridge and Cherry in Minneapolis, Saw, Sawing in Tokyo, and Dropped Cone in Cologne.
5. A multitude of Multiples
Claes Oldenburg, Broken Button, 1981
Oldenburg created multiples, small-scale versions of his sculpture, as a way to test materials, experiment creatively, and refine the concepts for his monumental public artworks. These playful, witty pieces reflect his belief that even the most mundane objects can be reimagined into something surprising and meaningful.
Visit our gallery at 94 New Bond Street to view our current exhibition Claes Oldenburg: Multiples, on view until the 29th June.
