Alexander CalderGreat American Innovator

1896-1976

Early Life

Alexander Calder was born in Pennsylvania in 1898 to artist parents.

They encouraged Alexander, or Sandy as he was called, to work with tools to make his own art.

Sandy made his first metal sculptures as gifts for his parents when he was 11 years old.

Calder’s Circus

Before choosing art as his career Calder studied engineering and worked many interesting jobs. He was a fireman on a ship and a toy designer.

His first art job was drawing circus illustrations for a newspaper in 1925.

Later at age 28 he moved to Paris, France and created his Cirque Calder.

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Working with Wire

Calder found he enjoyed working with wire for his circus. He began to sculpt portraits of his friends and famous people. He used the wire to draw in 3D.

Meeting Mondrian

In 1930 Calder met Piet Mondrian.

His abstract paintings of simple shapes and colors impressed him.

Calder tried abstract painting too.

He realized he liked sculpting better than painting.

The First Moving Sculptures

Calder created the first kinetic, or moving sculptures

called Mobiles.

Constellations

Metal was in short supply during World War 2. Calder started working with wood and stiff wire.

He called these sculptures “Constellations”

after the pictures made from stars in the sky.

Calder’s non-kinetic works are called Stabiles.

Early Stabiles were small, but soon he was constructing huge outdoor sculptures.

Alexander Calder created huge, monumental sculptures for public

places around the world.

He was even commissioned to design paintings on airplanes!

Alexander Calder died in 1976 at the age of 78.

He was a great American art pioneer.