// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Big Sweep say? "I'm brushing up.
| Big Sweep | |
|---|---|
 The sculpture in 2012 | |
 | |
| Location | |
Big Sweep is a sculpture by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, installed in Denver, Colorado, United States. It depicts a broom and dustpan,[1] and has been outside the Denver Art Museum since 2006.[1]
Description
[edit]According to Lonely Planet, the sculpture's color was selected "to complement Denver's clear blue skies" and the scale was "inspired by the vastness of Colorado's mountains and plains".[2]
History
[edit]A conservation project on the artwork was completed in August 2013.[3] In 2019, the Denver Art Museum exhibited works by the artists, including eight sketches of Big Sweep.[4][5]
Reception
[edit]In 2012, CBS Colorado said Big Sweep was "perhaps the most fun" of the "impressive" sculptures outside the museum.[6] Julianna O'Clair included Big Sweep in Westword's 2023 list of Denver's ten most famous public artworks. O'Clair said the sculpture "perfectly represents the artist’s goal of turning the mundane into the extraordinary".[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "Claes Oldenburg, creator of huge urban sculptures including Denver Art Museum's "Big Sweep," dies at 93". The Denver Post. Associated Press. 2022-07-18. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ↑ "Big Sweep". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ↑ Moomaw, Kate (2013-12-10). "Conserving Outdoor Sculpture: Big Sweep by Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen, Part 1 of 2". Denver Art Museum. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ↑ Crosby, Lukas (2018-09-10). "DAM's New Exhibit to Feature Work by the Artists of the Famous Big Sweep Sculpture". 303 Magazine. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ↑ Wolf, Stephanie (2018-10-08). "PHOTOS: Artists Behind DAM's 'Big Sweep' Sculpture Are The Focus Of A New Exhibit". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ↑ "Top Spots For Public Art In Denver". CBS Colorado. 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ↑ O'Clair, Julianna (2023-03-24). "Denver's Ten Most Famous Public Works of Art". Westword. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
