Marking the centennial of the artist's birth, this huge display at the National Gallery of Art through July 12, has to be one of the most appealing exhibitions of all time. The 260 works on view span the length of Calder's prolific career, during which he created some 16,000 objects, including 4,000 pieces of sculpture. Many of the works are from private collections and rarely exhibited. Three video programs in continuous operation in the exhibition galleries illustrate Calder's miniature circus, mechanized mobiles and monumental sculptures. The retrospective travels to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, where it will be on display from September 4-December 1.
Special mention needs to be made at the outset about the visually exciting installation.
Organized by the gallery's superb design team, headed by Mark Leithauser, the exhibition is a masterpiece of sensitive lighting, astutely spaced works in spare settings, and eye-popping vistas of swaying objects and large stabiles. Major pieces spill out into terraces adjacent to galleries, giving the show a pleasing, unfixed ending. Moreover, Leithauser placed several monumental Calder sculptures outside, near the museum's entrance. Alexander Calder was the third generation sculptor in his family. It seems to pressage works with similar qualities by his son.