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Alexander Calder Mixed Media

American, 1898-1976

The American sculptor Alexander Calder is known as the father of the mobile, a moving artwork composed of delicately balanced sculptural forms suspended from the ceiling.

Because Calder's parents, both artists themselves, did not want him to suffer the hardships of trying to make a living in art, they encouraged the young Calder to study mechanical engineering at the Stevens Institute of Technology, in Hoboken, New Jersey. He 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.

In 1926, Calder moved to Paris and established a studio in the Montparnasse quarter. He began creating the many parts of his famous miniature circus from found materials, such as wire, string, cloth, rubber and cork. Designed to be transportable, Cirque grew to fill five suitcases over the years. Always interested in putting forms in motion, Calder also pioneered a new art form called wire sculptures, which he described as “drawings in space.” Like his famous mobiles, the wire sculptures were suspended so that they turned with any movement of the air, presenting different forms when viewed from different angles.

In the 1950s, Calder returned to his roots in mechanical engineering, creating monumental abstract sculptures that verged on the architectural. He worked from loose gestural drawings like this preparatory sketch for his Man Stabile, from 1966. Throughout his career, he also worked as a set designer for the theater, as well as an illustrator and printmaker, producing vibrant, whimsical drawings for books and journals.

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Artist: Alexander Calder
"Les Vagues" Alexander Calder, Modernist, Red and Blue, Swirling Waves
"Les Vagues" Alexander Calder, Modernist, Red and Blue, Swirling Waves

"Les Vagues" Alexander Calder, Modernist, Red and Blue, Swirling Waves

By Alexander Calder

Located in New York, NY

Alexander Calder Les Vagues, 1975 Signed and Numbered 29 (on a label affixed to the reverse) Handwoven Aubusson wool tapestry 40 1/2 x 59 inches Edition 29/200 Provenance Truist Ban...

Category

1970s American Modern Alexander Calder Mixed Media

Materials

Tapestry, Wool

Untitled (Giraffe), Original Crayon and Pencil Drawing on Paper, 1966
Untitled (Giraffe), Original Crayon and Pencil Drawing on Paper, 1966

Untitled (Giraffe), Original Crayon and Pencil Drawing on Paper, 1966

By Alexander Calder

Located in Aventura, FL

Original crayon and pencil drawing on cut-out paper mounted on board. Hand signed with artist's initials CA. Executed in 1966, this work is registered in the archives of the Calder...

Category

1960s Surrealist Alexander Calder Mixed Media

Materials

Paper, Crayon, Pencil

Black Chair Original Gouache Painting, Surrealist, Signed, 1969
Black Chair Original Gouache Painting, Surrealist, Signed, 1969

Black Chair Original Gouache Painting, Surrealist, Signed, 1969

By Alexander Calder

Located in Aventura, FL

Original gouache and ink painting on paper. Hand signed and dated by Alexander Calder. Executed in 1969, this work is registered in the archives of the Calder Foundation, New York,...

Category

1960s Surrealist Alexander Calder Mixed Media

Materials

Paper, Ink, Gouache

Alexander Calder - Untitled Unique Gouache and ink on paper (1971)

Alexander Calder - Untitled Unique Gouache and ink on paper (1971)

By Alexander Calder

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Calder, Alexander Untitled, 1971 Gouache and ink on paper 29 1/2 x 43 1/4 in. Original work of art Signed and dated in ink This work is registered in the archives of the Calder Fou...

Category

1970s Expressionist Alexander Calder Mixed Media

Materials

Ink, Gouache

Alexander Calder - Untitled Unique Ink on paper laid on canvas (1961)

Alexander Calder - Untitled Unique Ink on paper laid on canvas (1961)

By Alexander Calder

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Calder, Alexander Untitled, 1961 Ink on paper laid on canvas 21 1/2 x 29 3/4 in. Original work of art Signed and dated in ink This work is registered in the archives of the Calder ...

Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Alexander Calder Mixed Media

Materials

Ink, Gouache

Porfolio Calder retrospektive (Maeght Zurich).
Porfolio Calder retrospektive (Maeght Zurich).

Porfolio Calder retrospektive (Maeght Zurich).

By Alexander Calder

Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Calder retrospektive (Maeght Zurich) Portfolio non paginé 26 pages c.giedion welcker (auteur) Maeght (éditeur) 1973 Contient 4 lithographies couleur don...

Category

1970s Alexander Calder Mixed Media

Materials

Paper

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By Max Manning

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Max Manning is a Houston-based painter whose practice he describes as “algorithmic abstraction”, studio-built systems that he deliberately disrupts to create compositions where loosely figurative fragments, patterns, and color fields collide. Working in series, Manning sets up rule-driven visual frameworks such as grids, repeated motifs, cut-outs, and layered shapes, and then interrupts them through shifts in palette, gesture, and scale. 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This stance has resonated with curators and collectors attuned to abstraction’s current arc: grounded in art-historical form, responsive to contemporary cognition, and committed to the slow time of looking. Manning earned a BFA in Two-Dimensional Studies from Bowling Green State University (2011) and an MFA from the University of Cincinnati (2014). His work has been exhibited widely in the U.S. and abroad and gained early institutional and critical attention through selection for the 2017 Texas Biennial, curated by Leslie Moody Castro, with press coverage in Texas arts media. Artspace Warehouse has been representing and exhibiting Max Manning's original artworks since 2025. The gallery has been a 1stdibs partner since 2014 with consistently excellent reviews from clients worldwide. The gallery exhibits a large selection of affordable original artworks from established and emerging international artists with diverse backgrounds at high standards. 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REPRESENTATION Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, USA SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2017 Language Game, TW Fine Art, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 2015 In Tongues, EN EM Art Space, Sacramento, California 2014 Now Made with Real Paint, No Future Projects (online) Soul-Rocket, Pipeline Artist Space, Cincinnati, Ohio 2013 Uberplasticist Exhibition #1, Pipeline Artist Space, Cincinnati, Ohio 2011 Screening Reality: Erotomania (Paintings and Drawings by Max Manning), Bowen Thompson Student Union, Bowling Green, Ohio GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2025 Space City Spotlight, Seismic Gallery, Houston, Texas 2023 No Zoning, Reeves Art and Design, Houston, Texas 2022 Crimson Tide, Soft Times Gallery, San Francisco, California The Big Show, Lawndale Art Center, Houston, Texas Small Works, Soft Times Gallery, San Francisco, California Summer Preview, Todd Weiner Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri 2022 Salina Biennial, Salina Art Center, Salina, Kansas Project for Ukraine, Far By Wide — Online Exhibition Miami University Yeck Young Painters Competition, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 2021 Quiet Fire, curated by Jessica Cannon and Jay Gaskill, Far By Wide — Online Exhibition Not Just Another Anthropocenic Love Story, Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn, New York DAAP Made, University of Cincinnati Indian Hill Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio Loop, Box 13 ArtSpace, Houston, Texas 2020 Concrete Pocket, Houston Community College Central Gallery, Houston, Texas Lines of Thought, CICA Museum, Gimpo, South Korea Flatfile Exhibition, Collar Works, Troy, New York Mirror Eye, curated by Youngspace and Far by Wide, Ortega y Gasset Projects, Brooklyn, NY Ortega y Gasset Flatfile Exhibition, Ortega y Gasset Projects, Brooklyn, New York 2019 The Christmas Edit, TWFINEART Group Art Show, Todd Weiner Gallery, Kansas City, MO Be. 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House with Yellow Windows, Oil Painting, Signed, 1960s NYC Artist
House with Yellow Windows, Oil Painting, Signed, 1960s NYC Artist

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By Martin Rosenthal

Located in Arp, TX

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Acrylic and Spray Paint of Paper - Office Series of Works - Framed
Acrylic and Spray Paint of Paper - Office Series of Works - Framed

Acrylic and Spray Paint of Paper - Office Series of Works - Framed

By Ettoja

Located in Vilnius, Vilniaus apskr.

Title of the work "Nice 2 c u". Series "Office". This series was first exhibited in the lobby of the South Quadrum building (Konstitucijos Ave. 21B), a site whose office function pl...

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Untitled Abstract Expressionist painting
Untitled Abstract Expressionist painting

Untitled Abstract Expressionist painting

By Desmond McLean

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Desmond Mclean (1929-2015). Untitled, ca. 1960. Mixed media on paper. Sheet measuring 13 x 16.25 inches. Unframed. Born: Ireland Studied: Heatherly School of Art, London; Americ...

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Untitled Abstract Expressionist painting Stonington ME
Untitled Abstract Expressionist painting Stonington ME

Untitled Abstract Expressionist painting Stonington ME

By Desmond McLean

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

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Alexander Calder mixed media for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Alexander Calder mixed media available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Alexander Calder in paper and more. Not every interior allows for large Alexander Calder mixed media, so small editions measuring 10 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of David Gilhooly, Roberto Matta, and Mikulas Kravjansky. Alexander Calder mixed media prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $316 and tops out at $179,950, while the average work can sell for $107,475.
Questions About Alexander Calder Mixed Media
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Alexander Calder’s artwork has found its home in many museums and art galleries around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum. Shop a selection of Alexander Calder’s pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    The American sculptor Alexander Calder invented the mobile, a moving artwork composed of delicately balanced sculptural forms suspended from the ceiling. His mobiles were an innovative feat and initially used motors for movement, which he later abandoned for air currents alone. Calder was also a pioneer of wire sculptures. Shop a selection of Alexander Calder pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertAugust 15, 2024
    Alexander Calder was famous for his work as an artist. The American sculptor is known as the father of the mobile, a moving artwork composed of delicately balanced sculptural forms suspended from the ceiling. He also created large-scale sculptures that frequently involved kinetic elements. Some of his best-known works include Mobile (Arc of Petals), Cirque Calder, Josephine Baker (III), Fish and A Universe. On 1stDibs, explore a selection of Alexander Calder art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 15, 2024
    Most artists consider Alexander Calder to be a Kinetic artist rather than a Surrealist. The American sculptor is known as the father of the mobile, a moving artwork composed of delicately balanced sculptural forms usually suspended from the ceiling. Calder also pioneered a new art form with wire sculptures, which he described as “drawings in space.” Like his famous mobiles, the wire sculptures were suspended so that they turned with any air movement, presenting different forms when viewed from different angles. Explore a diverse assortment of Alexander Calder art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021
    The American sculptor Alexander Calder is known as the father of the mobile, a moving artwork composed of delicately balanced sculptural forms suspended from the ceiling. On 1stDibs, find a variety of vintage Alexander Calder drawings and other sculptures.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    American artist Alexander Calder is best known for his work in sculpture, particularly his monumental sculptures and innovative ‘mobiles’ in the tradition of kinetic art. Shop a collection of authentic Alexander Calder pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMay 3, 2024
    Alexander Calder mostly made sculptures, although he also worked in printmaking, painting, performance and other media. He is known as the father of the mobile, a moving artwork composed of delicately balanced sculptural forms suspended from the ceiling. Some of his most famous works include Cirque Calder, A Universe, Josephine Baker (III), Mobile (Arc of Petals), Devil Fish, Romulus and Remus and Fish. On 1stDibs, find a variety of Alexander Calder art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Alexander Calder's mobiles were revolutionary because he largely pioneered the art form of creating hanging sculptures that were able to move freely in response to airflow. Calder was a prolific artist believed to have produced more than 22,000 works during his life. Shop a variety of Alexander Calder art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Alexander Calder is best known for his sculptures. He produced large, playful freestanding and hanging works in vibrant colors. Examples include Mobile-Stabile, Lobster Trap and Fish Tail and Flying Dragon. On 1stDibs, you can shop a selection of Alexander Calder art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 24, 2024
    How much an Alexander Calder mobile is worth depends on its historical significance, size, condition and other factors. In 2012, his 1945 piece Lily of Force sold for $18.5 million at auction in New York City. The American sculptor is known as the father of the mobile, a moving artwork composed of delicately balanced sculptural forms suspended from the ceiling. Always interested in putting forms in motion, Calder also pioneered a new art form called “wire sculptures,” which he described as “drawings in space.” Like his famous mobiles, the wire sculptures were suspended so that they turned with any movement of the air, presenting different forms when viewed from different angles. If you're in possession of a Calder mobile, a certified appraiser or knowledgeable art dealer can help you determine how much it may be worth. On 1stDibs, explore a range of Alexander Calder art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 16, 2024
    Alexander Calder used many of the elements of art when producing his works. The American sculptor is known as the father of the mobile, a moving artwork composed of delicately balanced sculptural forms suspended from the ceiling. These kinetic pieces use color, shape and space to convey a sense of unity, and the form of the art allows it to interact with its environment. Find a variety of Alexander Calder art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMay 3, 2024
    The art movement that Alexander Calder was connected to was kinetic art. The term refers to art that moves or has the appearance of movement. With their ability to sway and turn once suspended, Calder's mobiles are often referenced as examples of kinetic art. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Alexander Calder art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 3, 2024
    Alexander Calder invented the mobile, a moving artwork composed of delicately balanced sculptural forms suspended from the ceiling. The revered American sculptor's mobiles were an innovative feat and initially used motors for movement, which he later abandoned for air currents alone. Calder was also a pioneer of wire sculptures. (He was a celebrated modernist printmaker, too, and while jewelry was a secondary métier for him, interest in his wearable art has accelerated in recent years.)

    For Calder, the fascinating moment of artistic alchemy comes sometime between his representational canvases of the late 1920s and 1931, the year of his first show of abstract sculpture. Moving to Paris helped spur his creativity, as it did for so many artists and writers. The moment Calder arrived, he began working on one of his most seminal pieces, Cirque Calder (1931), his delightful distillation of the circus into what are essentially three-dimensional line drawings made with wire. 

    Shop authentic Alexander Calder prints, sculptures and other art from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    There are several interpretations of how to describe the characteristics of Alexander Calder’s sculptures. Some say they are abstract, with life-like elements, others say they are flat, simplified shapes that intersect at opposing angles. See the magic for yourself — shop a selection of Alexander Calder pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    The term ‘mobile’, which was coined by Marcel Duchamp, was used to describe Alexander Calder’s work, as Calder’s sculptures often moved with the help of motors or wind. ‘Mobiles’ was a French pun which meant ‘motion’. On 1stDibs, find a variety of original artwork from Alexander Calder.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 13, 2024
    Alexander Calder produced more than 22,000 works of art during his lifetime. The prolific artist made paintings, drawings, prints, tapestries, stage sets, jewelry and other types of art. Some of his most famous pieces include Cirque Calder, Josephine Baker (III), A Universe, Mobile (Arc of Petals) and Devil Fish. Shop a diverse assortment of Alexander Calder art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Like all meaningful works of art, the mood that best describes American artist Alexander Calder’s sculptures is subject to interpretation. Common descriptors for his abstract work include “playful” or “whimsical.” Calder is best known as the father of the mobile, a moving artwork composed of delicately balanced sculptural forms suspended from the ceiling. Shop a selection of Alexander Calder pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.