Alexander Calder I think best in wire Alexander

Alexander Calder “I think best in wire”

Alexander “Sandy” Calder (1898 - 1976) was born in Pennsylvania to a family of successful artists. His father and grandfather - both also named Alexander Calder were sculptors; his mother was a portrait painter. His grandfather sculpted William Penn on top of the Philadelphia City Hall In 1902, Sandy was the subject of his father’s The Man Cub As a child, he had a workshop and used tools to construct toys and gadgets with bits of wire, cloth, and string. Calder's parents did not want him to suffer the life of an artist, so he decided to study mechanical engineering. But Calder wasn’t happy in any of the jobs he worked after college, so he decided to become an artist after all.

Wire Portraits - “Drawings in Space” Calder was the first to use wire to create three-dimensional line "drawings" of people, animals, and objects. These "linear sculptures" introduced line into sculpture as an element unto itself. His work is based on lines and open space. The lines are very simple (no shading or color), but are still very expressive. He also doesn’t put in every detail of faces because our minds are good at filling in the gaps.

Mobiles - Sculptures in Motion Calder is best known for inventing the mobile. He was very fascinated with KINETIC art, which means art that can move. Perhaps his engineering education came in handy here as he had to be precise in his measurements to ensure the proper BALANCE of his art. They had to be both balanced visually (with shape and color) as well as balanced literally (with weight and counterpoise). It only takes a slight movement of air current to set his mobiles in motion. His work incorporated his interests in physics, astronomy, and kinetics, and above all, his sense of play. “Just as one can compose colors, or forms, so one can compose motions.

Project 1 -- Wire Portraits 1. Draw your portrait using pencil and paper. (Challenge: draw using one unbroken line as if it were a wire, try not to lift the pencil off of the paper) 2. Bend and shape the wire to follow the line of your drawing. 3. Add additional details with other wire, pipe cleaners, or other materials. 4. If you would like a stand for your sculpture, drill a small hole in the wood base. Insert your wire sculpture into the hole.

Project 2 -- Mobile 1. Cut out some “pleasing” shapes out of the self-adhesive foam. 2. Arrange shapes and wire in a pattern on the table. 3. Start at the bottom and work your way up, balancing each section as you work your way up. Calder: "I begin at the small ends, then 4. Experiment with adding/subtracting materials to make the mobile balance in progression until I think I've found the point of support. This is crucial, as there is only one such point and it must be right if the object is to hang or pivot freely. I usually test out this point with strings to make sure before bending the wires. The size and angle of the shapes and how to use them is a matter of taste and what you have in mind. "

Project 2 -- Mobile

Discover More About Calder National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC 26 works on display, including in the Sculpture Garden Online “Mobile Maker” on the NGA website (http: //www. nga. gov/kids/interactive/mobile. htm) Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC

“Above all, art should be fun. ” Alexander Calder