Giant Three-Way Plug, Scale A

Claes Oldenburg produced monumental sculptures of everyday consumer objects. Located on the lawn in front of the Saint Louis Art Museum, this enormous three-way electrical plug lies partially buried in the ground. The artist described it as resembling “an implement left over from a war, returning to nature.” Oldenburg first installed the sculpture in its current location in 1971, noting that the plug reminded him of historic architecture. Here, its arching lines and recessed spaces complement the classical design of the Museum’s Main Building.