Dropped Cone
Cologne, Germany
Background Information
Claes Oldenburg and his wife, Coosje van Bruggen created this sculpture. This sculpture was commissioned by Neumarkt Galerie. The Neumarkt Galerie is a mall in Cologne. The sculpture was installed in March of 2001. The sculpture is made out of balsa wood, fiber-reinforced plastic, and galvanized steel. It is 39 feet tall and towers 32 feet above the building it is perched on.
Drawing of Idea for Dropped Cone
Artists Statement
Claes and his wife, decided to put the sculpture on top of the building so that it would become part of Cologne's architecture. They also had to figure out what "flavor" of ice cream they should use. After many debates, they decided on "vanilla" ice cream. Cologne has many churches, so the ice cream cone has a different tilt than the steeples to differentiate it from them. Coosje says that this sculpture is "the cornucopia of consumerism and a sign of transience." The cone has a diamond pattern on it that the sculptors decided would help make it become part of the city's architecture.
Assembly of the Dropped Cone Sculpture
My Thoughts
This sculpture is definitely one-of-a-kind! It looks extremely realistic as well. I love how it looks like ice cream should be dripping on the windows of the building. I like how they put thought into what "flavor" of ice cream should be used. This sculpture adds a new dimension to the city of Cologne.