For more than three decades, artists Claes Oldenburg (b. 1929) and Coosje van Bruggen (1942-2009) created large-scale works that reconfigure our conception of ordinary objects found in our daily environments. Through their highly interactive and multi-tiered creative process, the couple transformed iconic, commonplace items such as rubber stamps and tools into humorous public monuments dedicated to the modern experience. These initial studies reveal a spontaneity and wit that subvert the solemn and inert character of public monuments. Drawings On Site: Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, organized by Bernice Rose, chief curator of the Menil Drawing Institute and Study Center, in cooperation with the artists, will showcase more than a dozen large-scale drawings assembled primarily from the artists’ private collection.
Photos: Paul Hester
