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ALEXANDER CALDER (1898-1976)

 
ALEXANDER CALDER - Directions - gouache and ink on paper - 29 1/2 x 43 1/4 in. ALEXANDER CALDER - Directions - gouache and ink on paper - 29 1/2 x 43 1/4 in. ALEXANDER CALDER - Directions - gouache and ink on paper - 29 1/2 x 43 1/4 in. ALEXANDER CALDER - Directions - gouache and ink on paper - 29 1/2 x 43 1/4 in. ALEXANDER CALDER - Directions - gouache and ink on paper - 29 1/2 x 43 1/4 in. ALEXANDER CALDER - Directions - gouache and ink on paper - 29 1/2 x 43 1/4 in. ALEXANDER CALDER - Directions - gouache and ink on paper - 29 1/2 x 43 1/4 in. ALEXANDER CALDER - Directions - gouache and ink on paper - 29 1/2 x 43 1/4 in. ALEXANDER CALDER - Directions - gouache and ink on paper - 29 1/2 x 43 1/4 in. ALEXANDER CALDER - Directions - gouache and ink on paper - 29 1/2 x 43 1/4 in.
Directions197429 1/2 x 43 1/4 in.(74.93 x 109.86 cm) gouache and ink on paper
Provenance
Perls Galleries, New York
Private Collection, Florida, 1974

175,000

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“About my method of work: first it’s the state of mind—Elation (joy).” – Alexander Calder

History

Although renowned for his innovative and groundbreaking sculptures, Alexander Calder started his artistic career as an abstract painter, preferring to use gouache. What is gouache? Gouache is a water-soluble paint – a type of opaque watercolor.

As Calder returned to gouache painting towards the end of his life, he was now armed with a lifetime of experience as a sculptor. He explored the three-dimensional vocabulary of sculptural forms he had developed onto the two-dimensional surface of the paper. Certain shapes and colors recur throughout his gouaches and sculptures. Circles, ovals, and other geometric forms dominate the space. There is the same sense of energy and fluidity. The shapes do not sit on the surface but vibrate giving a feeling of movement in contrast to the static nature of painting.

Like his sculpture, Calder’s gouache works echo Mondrian’s bright palette of primary colors and the whimsical nature of Miro’s work, both artists that Calder admired greatly.

  • Alexander Calder in his studio, 1966

    Alexander Calder in his studio, 1966

  • Alexander Calder photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1947

    Alexander Calder photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1947

“The first inspiration I ever had was the cosmos, the planetary system.” – Alexander Calder

Calder Gouaches in Museum Collections

Art Institute of Chicago

“Blue Half Circle” (1970), gouache and black ink on ivory wove paper, 29 1/2 in x 43 3/8 in. © 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

The Museum of Modern Art, New York

“Untitled” (1969), gouache on paper, 29 1/2 x 43 3/8 in. © 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York

“Untitled” (1971), gouache on paper, 29 3/8 x 43 3/8 in. © 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
“The basis of everything for me is the universe. The simplest forms in the universe are the sphere and the circle. I represent them by disks and then I vary them. My whole theory about art is the disparity that exists between form, masses and movement. Even my triangles are spheres, but they are spheres of a different shape.” – Alexander Calder

Image Gallery

© 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York 

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