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1990s
1990s

In the 1990s, Claes Oldenburg continued to leave a profound impact on the art world with his distinctive large-scale sculptures. This decade, like those before it, saw Oldenburg further exploring and expanding the themes and approaches that had defined his work from the start. His creations from this period are characterized by their continuation of his collaborations with Coosje van Bruggen, his wife, and their joint ventures into large, public art installations that combined whimsy, commentary, and architectural grandeur. The 1990s were marked by several notable works that showcased Oldenburg and van Bruggen's shared artistic vision. Their sculptures from this period often took everyday objects and transformed them into monumental, playful, yet thought-provoking public art pieces that continued to challenge perceptions of scale, form, and the meaning of everyday objects in an artistic context. These works not only reflected Oldenburg's interest in consumer culture and everyday items but also his and van Bruggen's keen sense of spatial and environmental integration, allowing their sculptures to interact dynamically with their surroundings. Their approach to public art during this time was both a continuation and an evolution of Oldenburg's earlier work. The collaborative pieces with van Bruggen brought a new dimension to his exploration of materiality and form, incorporating a broader range of subjects and integrating these monumental sculptures more profoundly into the fabric of public spaces and the natural environment. This phase of Oldenburg's career, particularly in collaboration with van Bruggen, was not just about creating visually striking sculptures but also about engaging deeply with the spaces these works inhabited. Their projects from the 1990s are a testament to Oldenburg's enduring influence in the field of contemporary art, his innovative approach to sculpture, and his and van Bruggen's ability to imbue familiar objects with a sense of wonder and new meaning, thereby transforming both the objects themselves and the spaces they occupy.