Pop artist Claes Oldenburg set himself counter to the staid abstract expressionists who ruled the modern art world in the '50s with his sense of humor and his flair for the dramatic. His oversized, brightly-colored sculptures of familiar objects such as lipstick and three-way plugs were ridiculed in the early days, but are now recognized as important works by a major artist. The Pulitzer Arts Foundation's (3716 Washington Boulevard;
www.pulitzerarts.org) new exhibit,
The Ordinary Must Not Be Dull: Claes Oldenburg's Soft Sculptures, showcases a selection of some of the artist's most playful works.
Soft Switches (1964) is a ductile pair of light switches in glistening red, gravity tugging them into bonk-eyed uselessness, but Oldenburg's
Green Beans (1964) are a Jolly Green Giant-sized pile of viridian pods with plump, glistening beans peeking out of either end.
The Ordinary Must Not Be Dull opens with a free reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 29. Oldenbug's sculptures remain on display through Saturday, October 15, at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation (3716 Washington Boulevard;
www.pulitzerarts.org). Admission is free, and the museum is open Wednesday through Saturday.