What is a Calder mobile?

A “Calder mobile” refers to a moving artwork created by American sculptor Alexander Calder composed of delicately balanced sculptural forms suspended from the ceiling. Calder worked a number of jobs, including as a hydraulic engineer and draftsman for the New York Edison Company, before deciding to pursue an artistic career. He never abandoned his engineering background, however, applying his understanding of gears and moving parts in all his artworks, from mechanical toys like the Cirque Calder (1931) and his revered prints to his free-standing abstract sculptures, called stabiles. Find a collection of original Alexander Calder art on 1stDibs.