Claes Oldenburg: Drawn from Life | Art & Artists

Through Apr 27

Exhibition works

5 total
Proposed Colossal Monuments
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Proposed Colossal Monuments

A teddy bear sits on a grassy field with a few birds flying in the sky above.
A teddy bear sits on a grassy field with a few birds flying in the sky above.

Claes Oldenburg, Proposed Colossal Monument for Central Park North, N.Y.C.—Teddy Bear, 1965. Wax crayon and watercolor on paper, 23 15/16 × 19in. (60.8 × 48.3 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of The American Contemporary Art Foundation, Inc., Leonard A. Lauder, President in honor of Janie C. Lee 2002.22. © Claes Oldenburg

Proposed Colossal Monuments
A brown potato with a yellow and white center sits on a surface, with handwritten text below and above.
A brown potato with a yellow and white center sits on a surface, with handwritten text below and above.

Claes Oldenburg, Baked Potato, Thrown in Corner, under Light Bulb, 1965. Wax crayon and transparent and opaque watercolor on paper, 18 × 12in. (45.7 × 30.5 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of The American Contemporary Art Foundation, Inc., Leonard A. Lauder, President 2002.18. © Claes Oldenburg

Baked Potato, Thrown in Corner, under Light Bulb, 1965

Five red lipsticks drawn in a row, each increasing in size, with numbers 1 to 5 written below.
Five red lipsticks drawn in a row, each increasing in size, with numbers 1 to 5 written below.

Claes Oldenburg, Various Positions of Giant Lipstick to Replace the Fountain of Eros, Piccadilly Circus, London, 1966. Crayon and watercolor on paper, 15 × 22in. (38.1 × 55.9 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of The American Contemporary Art Foundation, Inc., Leonard A. Lauder, President 2002.36. © Claes Oldenburg

Various Positions of Giant Lipstick to Replace the Fountain of Eros, Piccadilly Circus, London, 1966

A simple drawing of a peeled banana with yellow and blue shading on a plain background.
A simple drawing of a peeled banana with yellow and blue shading on a plain background.

Claes Oldenburg, Banana, 1966. Wax crayon and watercolor on paper, 7 13/16 × 5in. (19.8 × 12.7 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of The American Contemporary Art Foundation, Inc., Leonard A. Lauder, President 2002.31. © Claes Oldenburg

Banana, 1966

A large, reddish-brown column with a rounded top stands against a light blue and white background.
A large, reddish-brown column with a rounded top stands against a light blue and white background.

Claes Oldenburg, Proposal for a Skyscraper in the Form of a Chicago Fireplug, 1968. Wax crayon, watercolor and graphite pencil on paper, 13 11/16 × 11 1/16in. (34.8 × 28.1 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of The American Contemporary Art Foundation, Inc., Leonard A. Lauder, President 2002.50. © Claes Oldenburg

Proposal for a Skyscraper in the Form of a Chicago Fireplug, 1968

A green L-shaped object and a round gray item sit on a colorful, abstract background with soft lines.
A green L-shaped object and a round gray item sit on a colorful, abstract background with soft lines.

Claes Oldenburg, The Letters "L" and "O" in Landscape, 1968. Wax crayon, crayon wash and graphite pencil on paper, 9 3/4 × 13 11/16in. (24.8 × 34.8 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of The American Contemporary Art Foundation, Inc., Leonard A. Lauder, President 2002.56. © Claes Oldenburg

The Letters "L" and "O" in Landscape, 1968

Nine simple drawings of a person with orange hair and a dark shirt, each showing a different head position.
Nine simple drawings of a person with orange hair and a dark shirt, each showing a different head position.

Claes Oldenburg, Typewriter Erasers—Position Studies, 1970. Colored pencil and watercolor on paper, 14 3/8 × 11 3/8in. (36.5 × 28.9 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of The American Contemporary Art Foundation, Inc., Leonard A. Lauder, President 2002.62. © Claes Oldenburg

Typewriter Erasers—Position Studies, 1970

Large abstract sculpture with three thick arms on a central pillar, surrounded by trees and grass.
Large abstract sculpture with three thick arms on a central pillar, surrounded by trees and grass.

Claes Oldenburg, Proposal for a Cathedral in the Form of a Colossal Faucet, Lake Union, Seattle, 1972. Watercolor, graphite pencil, colored pencil, wax crayon and crayon wash on paper, 29 × 22 7/8in. (73.7 × 58.1 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from Knoll International, Inc. 80.35. © Claes Oldenburg

Proposal for a Cathedral in the Form of a Colossal Faucet, Lake Union, Seattle, 1972

Large flying saucer with long legs stands over a city skyline; handwritten text reads “Lower East Side, ca. 1965.”
Large flying saucer with long legs stands over a city skyline; handwritten text reads “Lower East Side, ca. 1965.”

Claes Oldenburg, Proposed Colossal Monument  for Lower East Side—Ironing Board, 1965. Wax crayon and crayon wash on paper, 11 15/16 × 17 11/16in. (30.3 × 44.9 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of The American Contemporary Art Foundation, Inc., Leonard A. Lauder, President 2002.20. © Claes Oldenburg

Proposed Colossal Monument  for Lower East Side—Ironing Board, 1965

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