French Fries and Ketchup, Claes Oldenburg 1963

Claes Oldenburg is Swedish-born American Pop-art sculptor that is best known for his giant soft sculptures of everyday objects. He studied literature and art history at Yale University, and then returned to Chicago where he took classes at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

In the begging of the 60's, the consumer society is developing in parallel with a growing economic situation. Pop art is going to emerge in this context. Pop artists generally represent everyday objects and things that are typical of a consumer-driven society. And this is what represents the sculpture called " French Fries and ketchup " by the American artist Claes Oldenburg which works of art blends reality and fantasy.

He created it in 1963 and is exhibited in the Whitney Museum of American

Art in New York USA. It is made from vinyl and kapok on wood base.

Even if it represents a large plate of fries, it is still raises questions in people's mind and Oldenburg broke the codes of traditional sculpture with this unconventionally squishy, rearrangable sculpture. There is a strong color contrast between the bright poppy red ketchup and the neutral and bland color of the fries. I liked this sculpture because it illustrates the notions and ideologies of the abundance of consumerism in the USA and how food is considered as an object of consumption and is reduced to a commercial product. His sculpture highlights the absurdity of American culture with humor.