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Taschen Basic Art
Calder
When the final tally of key movers in the plastic arts of this century is compiled, there is no doubt that maestro of movement Alexander Calder (1898-1976), the man who put the swing into sculpture, will be near numero uno. Calder took it off the plinth, gave it to the wind, and left us kinetic playgrounds of the spirit. He operated at the point where Modernity and nature Fused, developing an environmental art that changed the medium Forever. Visiting his Paris atelier in 1932, Duchamp coined the term "Mobiles" For Calder's delicate wire and disc pieces, constructions that would soon become immensely popular. But he didn't rest on his innovations. Friends with Miro, Mondrian and Leger, Calder also turned his hand to painting, drawing, gouaches, toys, textiles and utensil design. A graphic master who sketched as much in air as in ink, the Sixties and Seventies saw Calder take on the monumental, translating the dynamics of cities into both his Mobiles and "Stabiles". At a time when sculpture was perceived to be the antithesis of movement, Calder unmade gravity and freed the elements in a body of work that is still sending a wind of change through the art world today.
95 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 29, 2016
Not much text to this, but still enough to give the reader a feel for the force of nature that Calder was, as well as the joy he brought to life and those who knew him. I especially liked the numerous quotes from him sprinkled throughout the photos and descriptions. Delightful.
November 22, 2011
Baal-Tesuva's animates Calder's charmed life and helps us see Calder's mobiles as they were meant to be seen, in their original installations.
March 30, 2021
Awesome little book-on-the-go covering some of his great fun pieces.
February 21, 2016
Viewing Alexander Calder’s colorful, dynamic, and often whimsical art always gives me a lift. Though Calder’s art can only be fully appreciated when viewed personally, Baal-Teshuva does a good job of illustrating the work, especially in such a small book. The artwork is photographed in situ, mostly in full color. A varied selection of mobiles, stabiles, paintings, wire sculpture, jewelry, kinetic art, and even custom-painted airplanes is portrayed. The photos, for the most part, don’t seem too small, even though they often depict huge objects. Most photos are provided by museums. The small size of the book is refreshing for those used to reading heavy and unwieldy art books.
The text is a short overview of Calder’s life in the art world, including a bit about his sculptor father and grandfather, but just a short mention of his painter mother. Sandy, as he is known to friends and family, is depicted as lighthearted and lovable, in fact the darling of this art contemporaries. Even Dadaists and Surrealists who don’t particularly appreciate mobiles like him.
To me the text misses two important points about Sandy Calder. First, he was a family man, who enjoyed the company of his wife and children. Second, and most important, he was completely committed to his art, and his time in the studio was inviolable. He spent extended time every day creating art, not to be disturbed by family or the many friends to which this book refers. While the reader might draw the conclusion that any artist as prolific as Calder would have to be committed, I think that the author does a disservice to Calder's serious side by not describing clearly the depth of his commitment to his work. Depicting Calder as a just a good-time guy oversimplifies his character.
Anyone who loves Calder’s art will enjoy flipping through this book. Readers who have seen some of Calder’s large stabiles or mobiles, whether in a public space or a museum, might be amazed at the breadth of Calder’s portfolio, including his bold paintings and whimsical (and fully operational) wire circus. Those who like this book might also want to read Calder’s Universe by Jean Lipman.
The text is a short overview of Calder’s life in the art world, including a bit about his sculptor father and grandfather, but just a short mention of his painter mother. Sandy, as he is known to friends and family, is depicted as lighthearted and lovable, in fact the darling of this art contemporaries. Even Dadaists and Surrealists who don’t particularly appreciate mobiles like him.
To me the text misses two important points about Sandy Calder. First, he was a family man, who enjoyed the company of his wife and children. Second, and most important, he was completely committed to his art, and his time in the studio was inviolable. He spent extended time every day creating art, not to be disturbed by family or the many friends to which this book refers. While the reader might draw the conclusion that any artist as prolific as Calder would have to be committed, I think that the author does a disservice to Calder's serious side by not describing clearly the depth of his commitment to his work. Depicting Calder as a just a good-time guy oversimplifies his character.
Anyone who loves Calder’s art will enjoy flipping through this book. Readers who have seen some of Calder’s large stabiles or mobiles, whether in a public space or a museum, might be amazed at the breadth of Calder’s portfolio, including his bold paintings and whimsical (and fully operational) wire circus. Those who like this book might also want to read Calder’s Universe by Jean Lipman.
November 19, 2015
The text was REALLY short in this book- it was only 40 pages. But it has an abundance of lovely photographs of Calder's work.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews