Born: January 28, 1929, Stockholm, Sweden
Died: July 18, 2022, New York City, USA
Nationality: Swedish-American
Style: Pop Art, Sculpture
Influences: Everyday objects, consumer culture, urban environments
"I am for an art that is political-erotical-mystical, that does something other than sit on its ass in a museum."
Notable Artwork
Floor Burger (1962)
About Claes Oldenburg
Born: January 28, 1929, Stockholm, Sweden Died: July 18, 2022, New York City, USA Nationality: Swedish-American Style: Pop Art, Sculpture Influences: Everyday objects, consumer culture, urban environments Major Exhibitions: “The Store” (1961), “Floor Burger” (1962), “Giant Soft Fan” (1966) Quote: “I am for an art that is political-erotical-mystical, that does something other than sit on its ass in a museum.”
Notable Artwork: Floor Burger (1962)
This large-scale sculpture depicts a giant hamburger, made of canvas and filled with foam rubber and cardboard boxes. The sculpture is soft and somewhat droopy, contrasting with the idealized images of food in advertising.
Significance
Oldenburg’s soft sculptures of everyday objects are humorous and subversive. Floor Burger transforms a familiar food item into an unexpected and monumental form, challenging our perceptions of scale and materiality. It comments on consumer culture and the American obsession with food.