Artist 19: Alexander Calder

What would a blog by a wire sculptor be without an entry dedicated to Alexander Calder? This man practically invented the art form. He also invented the mobile, which is now wasted on babies. He also made wire jewelry for his friends, sometimes on the spot, producing a piece in a matter of minutes. His most memorable 3-D pieces are his goliath sheet metal sculptures, some of which rise several stories tall.

While not the most technical sculptor, his pieces have a quirky sense of humor about them. They feel very spontaneous and energetic. They are typically highly abstracted, especially the sheet metal pieces.

On top of his sculpting, he was also an accomplished painter. His paintings followed the direction of his sculptures, very abstract and linear. BMW even asked him to paint one of their cars for a small series for advertisement purposes (Andy Warhol was another artist who participated in this deal). While promoting the car company, Calder was also introduced to the automotive crowd, increasing his popularity.

Here are a few of my favorites;


His BMW Art Car