Calder in his studio at 14 rue de la Colonie. Photograph by Marc Vaux, fall 1931. Courtesy The Alexander and Louisa Calder Foundation, New York. view enlargement	"Why must art be static? You look at an abstraction, sculptured or painted, an entirely exciting arrangement of planes, spheres, nuclei, entirely without meaning. It would be perfect but it is always still. The next step in sculpture is motion." - Alexander Calder, referring to his abstract kinetic sculptures on display at the Julien Levy Gallery, New York, 1932. Excerpted from the New York World-Telegram, June 11, 1932.
	Alexander Calder was enthralled by motion. From his earliest hand-crafted toys to his later wire portraits and dynamic mobiles, Calder was fascinated by the mechanical potential of his materials. His innovative, truly modern work -- the unexpected combination of playful movement built from industrial materials -- is a celebration of engineering and art. Alexander Calder: 1898 - 1976 -- an exhibition of approximately 250 works -- is on view at SFMOMA from September 4 to December 1, 1998. The exhibition, honoring the centenary of Calder's birth, spans the artist's career and presents a range of works including wire sculptures, mobiles, stabiles, paintings and jewelry. Produced in conjunction with the exhibition, this Web feature focuses on Calder's life and work during the late 1920s and early 1930s. In that period, the artist traveled between Paris and New York and established his reputation with his circus performances, wire sculptures, and early mobiles. As with all of these forms, Calder's interest in kinetic motion -- whether in sculpture or performance -- became increasingly apparent in his work. An in-depth study of these particular years -- what one might call his breakthrough years -- provides a portrait of Calder's creative progress. A special series of public programs has been arranged to accompany Alexander Calder: 1898 - 1976. An exhibition catalogue, along with other Calder merchandise, is available at the SFMOMA MuseumStore. For further online exploration, take a virtual tour of Alexander Calder: 1898 - 1976 at the National Gallery of Art, where the exhibition was on view earlier this year.
	Childhood Sculptures >>
	Front page image: Alexander Calder, Untitled, 1942; 157 x 167.6 x 142.2 in.; Private Collection, New York; ©1998 Estate of Alexander Calder/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
	Copyright © 1998 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art