Claes Oldenburg was born in Switzerland and moved to the United States when he was an infant. His art in museums all over the world. For example, he has art in the Art Institute of Chicago, National Gallery of Australia, Freud Museum, and the Israel Museum, just to name a few. He may be a sculptor, but his art isn't strictly limited to ceramics; he also draws and works with metal. Oldenburg became famous in the early 1960's with his giant soft sculptures of everyday objects. In the later 1960's, his sculptures were moved outdoors and to public places because they were getting larger. His sculptures varied with the material he used. Some of his pieces are made of vinyl, wood, different types of metal, fiberglass, and fabric.
The "Spoonbridge and Cherry"is made of stainless steel and aluminum. It was made and installed in 1988 at the Walker Art Center.
The "Dropped Cone" is in Cologne, Germany. I think it's cool because it's on a building! The concept of something so playful and childish on a building is kind of satirical, that's why I enjoy it.
The "Saw, Sawing" is in Tokyo, Japan. Again, you can hear the satire in the title of this sculpture. It's such an odd concept, having a saw sawing through a sidewalk.
Here's an example of one of his soft sculptures. Of course he calls it "Soft Bathtub". This is a painted, three-dimensional piece that I think looks cool because it's ironic. It's ironic because it's a bathtub, but it looks like it was hung out to try, which contradicts the purpose of a tub to begin with. He's kind of a smart-ass, and I love it.
Sources:
http://www.agilitynut.com/mim/old.html
http://blog.artthatfits.com/index.php/2009/09/09/claes-oldenburg/
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