Split Button
Name/Title
Split ButtonEntry/Object ID
1981.0017.0001Description
Split Button was installed in 1981 on a small plaza near the entrance to the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, across from a statue of Benjamin Franklin. It was created by Swedish American artist Claes Oldenburg and his wife, Coosje van Bruggen. This artistic team is responsible for more than 40 large-scale projects in cities across Europe, Asia, and the United States. Internationally renowned for his Pop Art installations, Oldenburg playfully executes public sculptures of everyday objects in monumental scale. Split Button’s four holes recall Philadelphia founder William Penn’s design for laying out the center of the city around four symmetrically placed parks. The split makes reference to the Schuylkill River, which runs throughout the city. "The Button," as it is popularly called, measures 16 feet in diameter, weighs over 5,000 pounds, and serves as an unofficial central landmark and focal point of Penn’s campus. Children and adults alike can always be found popping out of the sculpture’s holes and posing for a picture. A legend exists that attributes Split Button to the University’s founder, Benjamin Franklin. According to the legend, a button popped off the seated Franklin's vest and rolled across the University’s Locust Walk. It eventually came to a stop and split into two—hence becoming today’s sculpture.Artwork Details
Medium
AluminumMade/Created
Artist Information
Claes Oldenburg
Coosje van Bruggen