Alexander Calder

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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2010s American Modern Alexander Calder
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1970s American Modern Vintage Alexander Calder
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1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alexander Calder
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1970s Vintage Alexander Calder
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Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Alexander Calder
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1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alexander Calder
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1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alexander Calder
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1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alexander Calder
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1970s American Vintage Alexander Calder
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1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alexander Calder
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1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alexander Calder
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Late 20th Century Alexander Calder
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20th Century Nicaraguan Mid-Century Modern Alexander Calder
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Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Alexander Calder
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1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alexander Calder
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1970s Nicaraguan Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alexander Calder
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- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The 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 ExpertApril 5, 2022American 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.