Alexander Calder

By Michael Mariscal

Vital Statistics

• (1898-1976)• Male• American (part Scottish)• Born in Pennsylvania• His father was a

sculptor, and his mother was a painter.

Major Personal Events In 1931, he created his first kinetic

sculpture, and from then on created mobiles

• On a ship from New York going to San Fransisco, before Calder became an artist, he awoke to see both a brilliant sunrises and a full moon, leaving a lasting impression on Calder.

• Went to Stevens institute of technology, and graduated with an engineering degree

Key Historical Events

• During WWII, Calder applied to be a marine, but was denied. As the war went on, metal became scarce, so he started using wood.

• The increase in factories and the use of metal made it easier for Calder to use metal in his art

Stylistic Trait #1

• In kinetic art such as “The Star”, Calder uses polychrome sheet metal (a sturdy and easy to use material) and steel wire.

Stylistic Trait #2

• Calder uses primary colors such as red, black, and yellow in most of his paintings.

Stylistic Trait #3

• Calder makes a lot of art that moves with the air, called “mobiles”. This is now what Calder is most famous for.