Alexander Calder was an American sculptor and painter best known for his groundbreaking mobiles and stabiles. He was born in 1898 and is considered one of the pioneers of kinetic art. His works are often associated with the abstract expressionist movement, and he is regarded as the originator of kinetic sculpture (Calder). Throughout his career, Calder explored various themes in his work, including man’s relationship with self, man defining himself within society, and man defining himself within connection to nature. Alexander Calder is an American artist known for his innovative and imaginative sculptures. In this essay, I will discuss two of his works, “Circus” and “The Crinkly.” These two works represent Calder’s artistic style and ability to capture motion and movement through his sculptures.
The first work I will discuss is Calder’s “Circus.” This work is a set of miniature circus performers made from wire, wood, and cloth. The performers are suspended from the ceiling and can be manipulated to create different performances. The work is meant to evoke the feeling of a real circus, complete with clowns, acrobats, and animals. “Circus” can be seen as a representation of man’s relationship with self (Bush). The circus performers, suspended in the air and manipulated by Calder, can be seen as a metaphor for the human psyche. The performers symbolize the different aspects of the self and people’s various life roles. The performers are suspended in the air, representing the idea that the self is constantly in flux, always changing and evolving.
The second work I will discuss is Calder’s “The Crinkly”. This work is a large mobile suspended in air and made up of large sheets of metal. The sheets are bent and crinkled, creating an undulating form that moves with the slightest air currents. “The Crinkly” can be seen as a representation of man defining himself within his relationship with nature. The undulating form of the mobile represents how nature is constantly in motion and how man is connected to and part of this motion. The sheets of metal are representative of the elements of nature, such as wind and water. The crinkled form of the sheets represents how nature can be beautiful and chaotic and how man must learn to adapt and respond to these changes.
Both “Circus” and “The Crinkly” are representative of Calder’s ability to create art that is both imaginative and thought-provoking. The two works are also representative of two of the Humanities themes that we explore in our class, man’s relationship with self and man defining himself within connection to nature. Through these works, Calder captured the complex and ever-changing essence of human experience and the relationship between man and the natural world.
In “Circus,” Calder captured the idea of the self as a constantly evolving entity. The circus performers, suspended in the air and manipulated by Calder, can be seen as a metaphor for the human psyche. The performers symbolize the different aspects of the self and people’s various life roles. The performers are suspended in the air, representing the idea that the self is constantly in flux, always changing and evolving (Bush). This work represents man’s relationship with self, as it shows how the self continually evolves and adapts to new experiences and challenges. “Circus” is a collection of miniature wire figures and animals that perform various acrobatics and stunts. The figures are arranged in a circular formation and are meant to be hung from the ceiling, allowing them to sway and spin in response to air movement. “Circus” represents Calder’s view of life as a performance, with each figure representing a different aspect of the human condition. The wire figures are abstract and stylized, allowing for various interpretations. Still, their playful and whimsical nature suggests that Calder saw life as a lively, sometimes absurd, but always entertaining performance.
In contrast, “The Crinkly” is a more static piece that consists of a large, crinkled sheet of metal suspended from the ceiling. Unlike the figures in “Circus”, “The Crinkly” does not move but still creates a dynamic visual effect by reflecting light differently. This piece can be seen as a representation of Calder’s view of the human psyche (Sullivan). The crinkled metal can be interpreted as a metaphor for the complexity and unpredictability of the human mind. At the same time, the static nature of the piece suggests that the human mind is always in a state of flux, constantly changing and evolving.
In “The Crinkly”, Calder captured the idea of man defining himself in relationship to nature. The undulating form of the mobile represents how nature is constantly in motion and how man is connected to and part of this motion. The sheets of metal are representative of the elements of nature, such as wind and water. The crinkled form of the sheets represents how nature can be beautiful and chaotic and how man must learn to adapt and respond to these changes. This work represents man defining himself within the relationship to nature, as it shows how man is connected to nature.
Notably, Both “Circus” and “The Crinkly” reflect Calder’s interest in the theme of “Man’s relationship with self.” The playful and whimsical nature of “Circus” suggests that Calder saw life as a performance in which each person plays a unique role, while “The Crinkly” represents the ever-changing nature of the human psyche. These two works can be seen as complementary, with “Circus” representing the exterior, the visible aspect of the self, and “The Crinkly” defining the interior, the hidden part of the self.
Through their use of color, form, and movement, Alexander Calder’s works “Circus” and “The Crinkly” explores two different Humanities themes of Man’s relationship with self and Man defining himself within connection to nature, respectively. These pieces reflect the cultural atmosphere of the time, with the vibrant colors and dynamic compositions suggesting a newfound enthusiasm for adventure and exploration (Calder). It also serves as a testament to Calder’s creative process, showcasing his ability to take abstract concepts and bring them to life through art.
Based on my research, I believe that “Circus” and “The Crinkly” are about the relationships between humans and the world around them. “Circus” explores the relationship between the self and society, while “The Crinkly” explores the relationship between humans and nature.
In “Circus,” Calder uses the performers and their different roles to show how the self constantly evolves and adapts to new experiences. The circus performers can be seen as a metaphor for the various aspects of the human psyche and the different roles people play. The performers are suspended in the air, representing the idea that the self is constantly in flux, always changing and evolving (Calder). This work relates to the Humanities theme of man’s relationship with self, as it shows how the self is constantly evolving and adapting to new experiences and challenges.
In “The Crinkly”, Calder uses the undulating form of the mobile to show the relationship between humans and nature. The sheets of metal represent the elements of nature, such as wind and water, and the crinkled form of the sheets represents the way that nature can be both beautiful and chaotic. This work shows how man must learn to adapt and respond to these changes to survive and thrive. This work relates to the Humanities theme of man defining himself within the relationship to nature, as it shows how man is connected to and part of the natural world.
In conclusion, “Circus” and “The Crinkly” are both works by Alexander Calder that explore the relationships between humans and the world around them. “Circus” explores the relationship between the self and society, while “The Crinkly” explores the relationship between humans and nature. Both works represent the Humanities themes of man’s relationship with self and man defining himself within connection to nature and show how Calder captured the complex and ever-changing essence of human experience. Calder’s use of abstract forms, movement, and light creates a powerful visual representation of the complex and dynamic nature of the human self. These works remain relevant today and contribute to our understanding of the human condition.
Works Cited
Bush, Elizabeth. “Sandy’s Circus: A Story about Alexander Calder.” Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books 62.1 (2008): 48-48. https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/246977/summary
Calder, Alexander, and Gerry Souter. Alexander Calder. Stedelijk Museum, 1959. http://deartesypasiones.com.ar/03/doctrans/Alexander%20Calder.doc
Calder, Alexander, and Meredith Malone. “Spotlight Essay: Alexander Calder.” https://www.kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu/node/11267
Sullivan, Marin R. “Sculpture in the (ancient) city: Alexander Calder, David Smith, and Robert Smithson in Italy.” Republics and empires. Manchester University Press, 2021. 223-239. https://www.manchesterhive.com/view/9781526154637/9781526154637.00023.xml
