Claes Oldenburg reconstructed ordinary objects in exaggerated scale and with unexpected materials that defy the nature of the original thing. Tea Bag includes a large piece of Plexiglas -- a hard, industrial material -- molded into the shape of a teabag, an object that in reality is small and soft. The sly, humorous tone of Oldenburg's imagery was an antidote to the seriousness of traditional still-life compositions. This media is in the public domain free of copyright restrictions. You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian.
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Tea Bag, from the portfolio Four on Plexiglas. Title Tea Bag, from the portfolio Four on Plexiglas. Artist Claes Oldenburg. Publisher Multiples Press. Credit Line Museum purchase.
