Nationality
American
Artist Dates
b. 1929
Preview
Date of Work
1974
Medium
Lithograph
Edition #
71/100
Height
47" (framed)
Width
34 3/8" (framed)
Collection/Provenance
Published by The Committee to Endow a Chair in Honor of Meyer Schapiro (1904-1996) at Columbia University.
Art & Design Study Collection
Status
Stored: R28
Location
UND Art Collections Repository
Artist Bio
Swedish-born Claes Oldenburg is an important artist within the Pop Art movement. He is best known for his sculpture which often used soft, rather than hard, materials (such as vinyl and cloth). He often presented commonplace subjects related to popular culture at a scale that was larger than life. During the early 1960s, he also created "happenings", which were a form of performance art. His sculptures of the 1960s included soft-sculpture replicas of sinks, bathtubs, drum sets, giant cigarette butts, and other commonplace subjects take out of context from everyday life. Beginning in the mid 1960s, he began to make colossal public sculptures for which he became increasingly known over the decades to follow--often collaborating with his wife, Coos van Brugge (1942-2009).
Additional Information
The subject of this print relates to Oldenburg’s sculptural projects, such as Hats in Three Stages of Landing, which features three aluminum and steel hats.
This artwork is from a portfolio of original prints published in recognition of Meyer Schapiro (1904-1996), a distinguished art historian who was very much appreciated by major contemporary artists of his day.
In 1974, a committee was formed to establish a Chair in Art History at Columbia University in Schapiro's honor. The portfolio, published in an edition of 100, was produced to raise funds to support the Chair. UND’s set of portfolio prints are numbered 71/100.
From Inventory Sheet:
Swedish-born Claes Oldenburg is an important artist within the Pop Art movement. The work on display is from the For Meyer Schapiro print portfolio. The subject relates to Oldenburg's sculptural projects, such as Hats in Three Stages of Landing, which features three aluminum and steel hats.
In 2005, when UND Art Collections began its operations, the Oldenburg print was missing. When found, the glass of its frame was resting directly on top of the unmatted print's surface. Also, pressed directly between the glass and image were dead crushed beetles, which fortunately did not stain the print. After it was found, the print was placed in an archival mat and a museum-quality wooden frame with a UV filtering acrylic sheet.
Claes Oldenburg, who was born in Sweden, has made vital contributions within the Pop Art movement- especially as a sculptor.
This artwork is from a portfolio of original prints by twelve artists published by The Committee to Endow a Chair in Honor of Meyer Schapiro (1904-1996) at Columbia University. Schapiro, an art historian, was very much appreciated by contemporary artists of his day.