i am for art

This article discusses both Claes Oldenburg and Allan Kaprow, both artistic pioneers for the Happenings (a series of sculptures, performances, and artistic installations). It begins with Oldenburg’s manifesto, a poem of sorts called “I am for Art”. After looking up his work, I realized that Oldenburg is perhaps an Andy Warhol in reverse. Quietly sophisticated and highly educated, he is a textbook case of the Pop art vision – the Pop art vibe and the Pop art jive. He sees inspiration in everything, creating contemporary artistries from larger-than-life spoons to a saw sawing into the earth’s ground. Some of them are unmistakably phallic – the food blenders, the toothpaste tubes, etc. When looking up his work, you see his large scale public works in their environmental settings, giving them a powerful surrealist quality.