Beschreibung:

PROPERTY SOLD TO BENEFIT THE BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART Alexander Calder Untitled 1960 sheet metal, brass, wire and paint 3 x 3 1/2 x 1 3/4 in. (7.6 x 8.9 x 4.4 cm) Initialed "CA" on the base. This work is registered in the archives of the Calder Foundation, New York under the Application Number A10353.
Provenance Gift of the artist to Lucien Thibaut, France Private collection, Paris Sale: Sotheby's, New York, Contemporary Art Part II, May 3, 1995, lot 291 Private Collection Sale: Sotheby's, New York, Contemporary Art Part II, November 20, 1996, lot 81 Acquired at the above sale by the present owner Catalogue Essay Alexander Calder’s reputation as the world’s leading abstract sculptor has given him great status in Twentieth Century art. Instead of concentrating on two-dimensional works, Calder consumed himself with the prospect of structure, incorporating color and movement to the extent that his sculptures defy the label of three-dimensional art. As they move continuously in a perpetual balance of elegance, his sculptures border on a forth dimension, one where the formal relationships of both painting and standing structure intertwine. Calder’s mobiles are themselves a creation of genius, as they continue to fascinate us with their engineering, senses of humor and play, and, of course, abstract beauty. The present lot, Untitled, 1960, displays a mobile much smaller in stature than what most are accustomed to seeing in Calder’s extensive oeuvre of mobiles. In it, we see his fascination with grand creations scaled down, but no less captivating. Although small, the present lot displays the same performative charm and graceful stasis that lends Calder’s mobiles a coveted place in art history. "To most people who look at a mobil, it's no more than a series of flat objects that move. To a few though, it may be poetry." - Alexander Calder (A. Pierre, Motion - Emotion: The Art of Alexander Calder O'Hara Gallery, New York, 1999) Read More Artist Bio Alexander Calder American • 1898 - 1976 Alexander Calder worked as an abstract sculptor and has been commonly referred to as the creator of the mobile. He employed industrious materials of wire and metal and transformed them into delicate geometric shapes that respond to the wind or float in air. Although born into a family of sculptors, the artist studied mechanical engineering before pursuing a career in art; these studies may explain the science behind the unique balancing act of his dynamic structures. In addition to his mobiles, Calder produced an array of public constructions worldwide as well as drawings and paintings that feature the same brand of abstraction. Calder lived in Lawnton, Pennsylvania. View More Works