Biography• Born 1929 – Stockholm,
Sweden
• Studied at Yale and the Art Institute of Chicago
• Wife/Business Partner Dutch/American artist Coosje van Bruggen
• Created 45 Large Scale Public Installation artworks all over the world
• Van Bruggen died of breast cancer in 2009
Early Work
Performance art
Soft Sculptureswith Pop Art Aesthetic
Mechanical Installation Art
Brought a whimsical aesthetic objectiveto a “dull” abstract expressionist period in art
Performance Art• A performance
presented to an audience, either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous, with or without audience participation, live or via media
Installation Art/Public Art• 3-D works that are site-specific and designed to
transform the perception of a space
Ice Bag, Claes Oldenburg, Programmed kinetic sculpture of polyvinyl, fiberglass, wood, with mechanical movements, Installation Art, Pop Art Movement
Dropped Cone, Claes Oldenburg, Stainless and galvanized steels, fiber-reinforced plastic, balsawood, Cologne, Germany, Installation Art, Pop Art Movement
Free Stamp, Claes Oldenburg, Steel and aluminum painted with polyurethane enamel Cleveland, Ohio, Installation Art, Pop Art Movement
Spoonbridge and Cherry, Stainless steel and aluminum painted with polyurethane enamel Minneapolis, Minnesota, Installation Art, Pop Art Movement