Alexander Calder

Mobile

c.1932

© ARS, NY and DACS, London 2018

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Not on display

Artist: Alexander Calder 1898–1976
Medium: Metal, wood, wire and string
Dimensions: Unconfirmed: 1500 x 2000 x 2000 mm
Collection: Lent from a private collection 1992
On long term loan
Reference: L01686

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By suspending forms that move with the flow of air, Calder revolutionised sculpture. Marcel Duchamp dubbed these works ‘mobiles’. Rather than a solid object of mass and weight, they continually redefine the space around them as they move. Calder’s subtle balance of form and colour resulted in works that suggest an animated version of paintings by friends such as Joan Miró. This very early example was acquired by Julian Trevelyan when he first got to know Calder in the early 1930s.

Gallery label, July 2008