Why did Alexander Calder make mobiles?

2 years ago

2 minutes

Trained as an engineer and an artist, Calder was intrigued by Piet Mondrian’s experimentations of color and form, and himself created “moving Mondrians”—free hanging, mobile sculptures engaged in constant physical change.

What were Calder mobiles made of?

Made from sheet steel, bolted together and brightly painted, these works wrecked his critical reputation and bloated his bank balance. Around 100 of Calder’s early wire works and mobiles will be exhibited at Tate Modern next month.

Why are Alexander Calder’s sculptures called mobiles?

Dating from 1931, Calder’s abstract sculptures of discrete movable parts powered by motors were christened “mobiles” by Marcel Duchamp, a French pun meaning both “motion” and “motive”. However, Calder found that the motorized works sometimes became monotonous in their prescribed movements.

Who created the first mobile art?

Artist Alexander Calder was the originator of the mobile. By suspending forms that move with the flow of air, Calder revolutionised sculpture. It was Marcel Duchamp who dubbed these works ‘mobiles’.

When was mobile art invented?

mobile, abstract sculpture that has moving parts, driven either by motors or the natural force of wind. The word mobile was initially suggested by Marcel Duchamp for a 1932 Paris exhibition of such works by the American artist Alexander Calder.

What was Alexander Calder inspiration?

He was inspired by meeting Mondrian

In 1930 Calder was invited to Piet Mondrian’s studio in Paris. Here Calder was inspired by the colorful squares dotted over the white walls of the studio.

What is Calder famous for?

Alexander Calder is known for inventing wire sculptures and the mobile, a type of kinetic art which relied on careful weighting to achieve balance and suspension in the air. Initially Calder used motors to make his works move, but soon abandoned this method and began using air currents alone.

How many phones Calder made?

Calder died in 1976 at age 78, weeks after the opening of a major retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. In the 21st century the Alexander Calder Foundation documented his output at more than 22,000 works.