ARTISTS (current) EXHIBITIONS VIEWING ROOMS FAIRS NEWS ABOUT CONTACT Alexander Calder is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating artists of the twentieth century. Best known for his innovative kinetic sculptures powered by air currents, the "mobiles" and his colorful, whimsical abstract monumental sculptures, or "stabile", Calder was a prodigious artist with a restless creative spirit. Informed by a singular hand defying any attempt at categorization, his diverse practice also included painting, mostly gouache, printmaking, miniatures (such as his famous Cirque Calder), children's book illustrations, theater set design, jewelry design and more. His unique abstract language, brimming with dynamism and vibrancy is based on the intuitive use of pure color, gesture, and line, which extends between subtle biomorphic shapes and geometric forms. Credits 2021 Calder Foundation New York, / Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York Publicity photograph of Calder during the installation of Alexander Calder (September 29, 1943–January 16, 1944). 1943. Gelatin silver print, 3 3/4 x 4 3/4″. Photographic Archive, The Museum of Modern Art Archives, New York. Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. La photo a été prise au Whitney Museum of American Art. Credits 2021 Calder Foundation New York, / Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York, Calder with Gamma and Sword Plant, Buchholz Gallery / Curt Valentin, New York - 1947 Alexander Calder with Snow Flurry, 1966. Photo by Yousuf Karsh. Artwork © 2020 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. The basis of everything I do is the universe. -Alexander Calder Alexander Calder was an American sculptor and painter born in 1898 in Lawnton, Pennsylvania. In 1919, he received an engineering degree from Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey and from 1923 to 1925, he attended the Art Students League, New York. He lived and worked mostly in the United States and in France. He died in 1976 in New York city. Calder's public commissions are on view in cities all over the world and his work has been the subject of numerous museum exhibitions, including the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (1998, traveled to San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, California); The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. (1998–99); Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford (2000); Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2000); Iwaki City Art Museum, Japan (2000, traveled to The Museum of Modern Art, Japan; Hokkaido Obihiro Museum of Art, Japan; The Museum of Art, Japan; Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum, Japan; Nagoya City Art Museum, Japan); Storm King Art Center, New York (2001–03); Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao (2003, traveled to Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, through 2004); Foundation Beyeler, Switzerland (2004, traveled to Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., through 2005); Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California (2013); Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (2014); Fondation Beyeler, Basel (2014); Museo Jumex, Mexico City (2015); and Pulitzer Arts Foundation, Saint Louis (2015). Alexander Calder with 21 feuilles blanches Paris 14ème Photo credits : Agnès Varda, 1953 - Image : Courtesy Calder Foundation, New York / Art Resource, New York, 2015 Calder Foundation, New York / DACS London. Join our mailing list for updates about our artists, exhibitions, events, and more. About Careers Terms This website uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By using this site, you consent to our use of cookies. Accept X