Oldenburg was born in Stockholm in 1929, but it was in the United States that he grew up to later become one of pop art’s foremost representatives.
By enlarging everyday objects into improper, soft materials, Oldenburg exposed visual structures of everyday objects in a way that is reminiscent of Gulliver’s experiences in the land of the giants. Regarding the softened form, Oldenburg has said that it has “some of the free potential of drawing”.
The Pace Gallery in New York, which represented Oldenburg, states that he died in his home and studio and calls him “one of the most revolutionary artists of the 20th century”.