Alexander Calder: Mobiles, Stabiles & Jet Planes
What immediately jumps to mind when we hear the name Alexander Calder is of course his spectacular mobiles. The innovative artist is most famous as the creator of three dimensional figures, suspended from ceilings, that move freely with currents of air. His fellow artist Marcel Duchamp coined the term ‘Mobile’ for Calder’s abstract sculptures built out of sheet metal, wire, wood and paint. Another fellow artist, surrealist Jean Arp, dubbed his static sculptures, ‘stabiles.’ Calder created monumental works for public spaces including JFK airport. His WTC Stabile, also known as Bent Propeller, installed in front of the World Trade Center, was destroyed on September 11, 2001.
Calder’s ingenuity encompassed more than just the sculptures. He painted, designed toys, jewelry, stage sets for choreographer Martha Graham’s ballets, created miniature circuses and performed in them as ring master, and he painted two jet planes for Braniff Airlines.
And I must confess Calder, along with Miro, Matisse and Kandinsky, continues to be a great source of inspiration for me.
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