Calder divided his time between the United States and France, where he became influenced by the work of friend and fellow artist, Joan Miró. Around 1930, he began making kinetic abstract constructions, which were powered by hand, by motor or moved freely with the air's currents. As the suspended elements of these sculptures move, and they are affected by light and shade, their relationship to each other, and the overall composition of the artwork changes. Marcel Duchamp coined the phrase 'mobiles' to describe these works. 'Mobile' refers to both 'motion' and 'motive' in French.

By the 1950s Calder's work had developed again and he began creating static painted metal constructions. These outdoor pieces were architectural in scale and a selection is included in this Pathfinder. As before, these surreal sculptures were based on organic forms, yet this time, new challenges were presented to Calder, with regards to the construction. To tackle this, he would first make small models of the works, taking all the problems of scale and weight into account. The finished pieces were described by Jean Arp as 'stabiles'. Although stationary, these giant works bring the same joy of discovery as his mobiles, it is simply a matter of the viewer providing his own movement." />

• Contact
• Privacy & Security
• Complaints
• Help
• Accessibility
• Cookie Policy
• Outreach
• Site Map