$60,000
1958 oil on canvasoil on canvas 32¼ h x 20 w in (82 x 51 cm)
Alexander Calder worked in metal, steel, gouache and oil and in each medium the simplicity of his designs are complimented by his fascination with form.
Educated in the early 1920s by a host of notable realist painters at the Art Students League in New York, Calder moved to Paris in 1926 where he was introduced to abstraction through the work of Joan Miro and Piet Mondrian. Calder frequently acknowledged Mondrian's impact on his work; in 'Calder's Universe' he remembered the visit as a shock "that started things." (pg. 112). Although activated by these early experiences, Calder went on to create a unique visual vocabulary that is immediately recognized.
Miro's vast landscapes and Mondrian's reductive philosophy are palpable in this biomorphic composition, yet the floating black and white form, reminiscent of manipulated wire, and the recognizable shades of red and yellow are all his own. Characteristic of Calder's work, this painting combines sculptural qualities within a highly flattened composition. The expanses of solid color create a shallow space both contemplative and dramatic broken only by the contrasting, hypnotic form.
This painting is dedicated to John "Tito" Gerassi, a Frenchman born in 1931 whose father, Fernando Gerassi, was an artist and politician and well known to the Parisian group of artists and intellectuals in the 1930s, including Jean-Paul Sartre, Pablo P
Auctioneer:
Wright Auctions
Date:
2004-12-05