Author(s): Ann Temkin

Art

In the early 1960s, Claes Oldenburg redefined the concept of sculpture. Published in conjunction with a comprehensive exhibition of the artists early work, "Claes Oldenburg: Selected Writings 1956-1969" gathers together in a single volume the artist's key writings from the 1960s and several years from either side of the decade. Much of the publication comprises of previously unpublished material, including sections of an extensive diary the artist kept during the formative years of the 1960s, and selection from an autobiographical manuscript that Oldenburg wrote in 1971. The book also reprints seminal texts related to Oldenburgs early exhibitions, a selection of scripts for the accompanying Happenings and related interviews. "Claes Oldenburg: Selected Writings 1956-1969" provides insight into the artists working process through a transformative period of his long career.