Claes Oldenburg was originally born in Stockholm, Sweden, but grew up in Chicago, later relocating to New York City. He is well known for his large scale sculptures of everyday objects such as food and clothing

Oldenburg’s current studio in New York looks bright and busy. This photo is relatively recent, taken in 2011. I see a lot of different materials in this shot including what might be construction paper, tape, perhaps a drawing in progress – and the big pair of scissors on the top shelf might be decoration, or a mock-up for an art piece. In fact there are several mysterious shapes on the shelves and on the wall that could be the rough beginnings of huge sculptures soon to be realized.

I like that Oldenburg’s studio is quite cluttered. He seems to have a sense of humour about his work and it’s easy to imagine the artist happily digging through materials in this space.

This studio might have equipment such as sewing machines, and foam or fabric materials for making soft sculptures, and Oldenburg is probably able to produce much of his slightly smaller works in one space. His large, outdoor sculptural installations are probably fabricated offsite, perhaps by assistants. In any case, this studio looks like a great place for brainstorming and drafting his monumental art pieces!

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