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.
Commissioning the Sculpture:
In 1975 when the Hart Senate Office Building was under construction, Alexander Calder and four other artists were invited to submit proposals to create a contemporary work for the central atrium. During the selection process, Calder submitted a sketch and maquette of the concept he called Mountains and Clouds. His innovative design was accepted.
After the artist's untimely death, budgetary considerations nearly eliminated the project. However, New Jersey Senator Nicholas Brady formed a foundation that raised the necessary funds. Mountains and Clouds was finally installed in 1986, ten years after Calder's death.
For more information, please visit www.senate.gov/art
"To most people who look at a mobile, it's more than a series of flat objects that move. To a few, though, it may be poetry."
-- Alexander Calder |