Two Cheeseburgers, with Everything (Dual Hamburgers) 1962

Curator: Right in front of us, we have Claes Oldenburg's "Two Cheeseburgers, with Everything", created in 1962. It’s a mixed-media assemblage sculpture, currently residing here at MoMA. What are your immediate thoughts? Editor: Well, I’m immediately struck by its almost grotesque texture and its unapologetic glorification of such a commercially ubiquitous food item. The scale amplifies the familiar. Curator: Exactly! Oldenburg was fascinated with elevating everyday objects to the status of high art. Consider the social context of 1962 America. Mass consumerism was booming, and fast food was becoming deeply ingrained in the culture. Editor: I see these burgers as commentary on the commodification of food and, frankly, on American excess. The crude texture and bright colors seem almost aggressive. What does it say about a society when we elevate something so readily available to a museum piece? It points to ideas of cultural identity. Curator: It’s also intriguing how Oldenburg uses such painterly textures to create the sculpture. It merges sculpture with painting in a manner that’s challenging formal artistic conventions. His use of materials certainly provokes discussion. Editor: Absolutely, I’m thinking about accessibility and class. Cheeseburgers are a symbol of affordable sustenance, yet, by displaying it within the cultural gatekeeping mechanism that is MoMA, Oldenburg starts an interesting conversation about what constitutes “art” for different audiences and for whom. Curator: His work forces us to examine how cultural institutions define and value art. He challenged what was "high art". This work also invites consideration on art and social change, as well. Editor: Indeed. For me, these cheeseburgers aren't just food; they represent a whole host of interwoven complexities related to American identity and consumer culture, prompting us to dissect the systems that produce and celebrate such objects. Curator: This work, with its complexities, highlights how seemingly mundane things can serve as portals into deeper, more probing ideas about who we are and the societies that we create.