Your Monday Muse #10

“Saurien” (meaning “large reptile” in French; 1975) is one of many monumental sculptures known as “stabiles” by American artist Alexander Calder.

“Who is your favorite artist?”

As an Art Consultant, I often receive this question. So, to ring in the new year (and commemorate this being the tenth blog entry), I thought I’d share my answer.

The truth is “I can’t choose only one!”

(Sidenote: if you’ve read Barbara Sher’s “Refuse to Choose!: Use All of Your Interests, Passions, and Hobbies to Create the Life and Career of your Dreams”, you’ll recognize I am definitely what she calls a “scanner” and consider it one of my best qualities).

As a Sotheby’s grad student (when I received this question almost daily), my typical answer was “Alexander Calder”, which still holds true. At the time, my preference was largely informed by the fact his big red sculpture “Saurien” was highly visible outside the entrance to my best friend’s workplace on Madison Avenue, which somehow made me feel a sense of personal connection to the Big Apple, her big-girl job, and my big ambitions as an art maven. My familiarity and appreciation of his artwork continued to grow each time I was pleasantly surprised to find one included in the myriad of museums and private collections we visited for school.

Alexander Calder was an American born in the late 19th century. As is true for many creatives (then and now), his parents didn’t want him to become an artist. So, he pursued mechanical engineering. However, artistry was in his blood and by the age of thirty-three he earned his first gallery exhibit in Paris. While he was the first to be recognized for “drawing in space” with figurative wire sculptures, he is best known for his kinetic sculptures, which were a significant departure from the traditional notion of art as a static object.

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing his work in private collections and in the Whitney, Guggenheim, and MoMA in NY, National Gallery of Art in DC, and SF MoMA here in California. His hanging sculptures bring me joy. Their simplicity and playful shapes, colors and composition belie their sophisticated influences and elegant construction. With thoughtful placement, a Calder mobile can elevate the energy of any environment.

“Lone Yellow” (1961) kinetic sculpture by Alexander Calder, in SFMOMA collection.