Existing comment:
Alexander Calder:
Alexander Calder (1898-1976) was one of the most influential and beloved American sculptors of the 20th century. Born to a family of artists, he initially chose mechanical engineering as a career before realizing his artistic calling. Calder revolutionized the art of sculpture by developing two sculptural forms in the 1930s: the "mobile" and the "stabile."
The mobile -- abstract sculpture that created random designs and visual effects while in motion -- is recognized in art history as one of the most significant innovations of 20th-century sculpture. The stabile -- its fixed, freestanding counterpart -- evolved in Calder's later work into ever-larger, nearly architectural forms. The mobile and stabile eventually gave rise to new concepts in sculpture, and was a major contributor to the development of abstract art.
Mountains and Clouds was Calder's last project and his only creation that combined a separate mobile and stabile in a single sculptural work. Today, Calder's sculptures enrich many public landmarks worldwide. |