Claes Oldenburg, born in 1929, American sculptor, who was a pioneer of pop art. Claes Thure Oldenburg was born in Stockholm, where his father was a diplomat. Between 1960 and 1965, Oldenburg conducted a number of so-called happenings, typical of which was Autobodys (1964, Los Angeles), which involved automobiles, crowds of people, and quantities of ice cubes in a participational art event. The crudely painted props used in these events formed the basis of much of his later sculpture. In 1961 he opened a store in New York City and sold plaster replicas of hamburgers, sandwiches, sundaes, and other fast-food items. Later versions of these objects were constructed on a gigantic scale from vinyl stuffed with foam rubber. He continued to use similar soft materials, especially vinyl and canvas, in later sculptural series of objects such as bathroom fixtures, fans, and typewriters. These works, called soft sculptures, transform familiar everyday objects into sagging heaps; they are intended both as innovative sensual experiences and as commentary on the social import of the objects portrayed. Oldenburg has also worked in fiberglass and metal; his huge metal Geometric Mouse exists in several versions, adorning plazas in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Houston, Texas.
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