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Spoonbridge and Cherry

Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen Spoonbridge and Cherry 1985-1988 aluminum, stainless steel, paint 354 x 618 x 162 in.

How did the artists work together or collaboratively?

When Oldenburg and van Bruggen were asked to design the fountain sculpture, they had already completed more than 20 large-scale sculptures in the United States and Europe. The two artists working together is called collaboration.

They had to think about color, the site (place where sculpture rests), what materials could withstand harsh Minnesota winters, and the scale and size. Click here to view a video or read the text of Coosje van Bruggen talk about scale (video requires Quicktime).

They also had to think about the theme or subject for the sculpture. They thought of many ideas-the cold Minnesota winters, the state's many lakes, the Native American culture, and the state bird, the loon. Oldenburg said he thought about the form of the sculpture, and van Bruggen thought about its theme, or content. They designed Spoonbridge and Cherry to be moving and alive and to give us new ideas about sculpture. Click here to view a video or read the text of Coosje van Bruggen talk about form (video requires Quicktime).