4th grade
Wire sculptures
American sculptor who is best known for his colorful, whimsical abstract public sculptures and his innovative mobiles (kinetic sculptures powered by motors or air currents) which embraced chance in their aesthetic. Born into a family of artists, Calder's work first gained attention in Paris in the 1930s. He lived in many states in America, Pennsylvania, Arizona, California, and New York to name a few. But, most of his artwork was made in France where he lived for many years. Even at an early age, he was making sculptures out of found materials to mirror things he had seen. One big thing he was inspired by was watching the Tournament of Roses Parade... this is when he came up with the ideas for his sculptures of circus performers. 1926-1928 Cirque Calder, a miniature circus fashioned from wire, cloth, string, rubber, cork, and other found objects. Designed to be transportable (it eventually grew to fill five large suitcases), the circus was presented on both sides of the Atlantic.
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ALEXANDER CALDER 1898–1976
Interesting: Calder was born in 1898 in Lawnton, Pennsylvania.[3] His actual birthday, however, remains a source of confusion. According to Calder's mother, Nanette (née Lederer), Calder was born on August 22, yet his birth certificate at Philadelphia City Hall, based on a hand-written ledger, stated July 22. When Calder's family learned about the birth certificate, they reasserted with certainty that city officials had made a mistake.
Calder was the inventor of Kinetic Art... which is art that moves.
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His Circus sculptures showed movement through the wires. This was accomplished after many hours of studying the circus performers and how they move around. How can we study these movements?