Claes Oldenburg Quotes

“I am for an art that tells you the time of day, or where such and such a street is. I am for an art that helps old ladies across the street.”

Art Helping Streets Old Lady Time Of Day

Author:Claes Oldenburg

“I am for the art of underwear and the art of taxicabs. I am for the art of ice cream cones dropped on concrete.”

Art Ice Concrete Cream Ice Cream Underwear Cones Ice Cream Cones

Book:Claes Oldenburg: an exhibition organized by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, under the auspices of the International Council of the Museum, the Tate Gallery, London 24 June - 16th August 1970

Source: Claes Oldenburg: an exhibition organized by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, under the auspices of the International Council of the Museum, the Tate Gallery, London 24 June - 16th August 1970

“My mother warned me to avoid things colored red.”

Mother Red

Book:Claes Oldenburg: object into monument

Source: Claes Oldenburg: object into monument

“I am for an art that takes its form from the lines of life itself, that twists and extends and accumulates and spits and drips, and is heavy and coarse and blunt and sweet and stupid as life itself.”

Art Form Lines Stupid Sweet Heavy Twists Spit Blunt Coarse

Book:Claes Oldenburg: an exhibition organized by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, under the auspices of the International Council of the Museum, the Tate Gallery, London 24 June - 16th August 1970

Source: Claes Oldenburg: an exhibition organized by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, under the auspices of the International Council of the Museum, the Tate Gallery, London 24 June - 16th August 1970

“I am preoccupied with the possibility of creating art which functions in a public situation without compromising its private character of being antiheroic, antimonumental, antiabstract, and antigeneral. The paradox is intensified by the use on a grand scale of small-scale subjects known from intimate situations--an approach which tends in turn to reduce the scale of the real landscape to imaginary dimensions.”

Art Real Character Use Turns Situation Known Subjects Possibility Approach Creating Function Scales Compromise Landscape Intimate Dimensions Paradox Imaginary Creating Art

Author:Claes Oldenburg

“I am for an art that grows up not knowing it is art at all.”

Art Grows Growing Up Knowing Not Knowing

Book:Claes Oldenburg: an exhibition organized by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, under the auspices of the International Council of the Museum, the Tate Gallery, London 24 June - 16th August 1970

Source: Claes Oldenburg: an exhibition organized by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, under the auspices of the International Council of the Museum, the Tate Gallery, London 24 June - 16th August 1970

“All the fun is locking horns with impossibilities.”

Inspirational Fun Impossibility Horns

Author:Claes Oldenburg

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