WALKING THE WIRE

I have recently been doing research on one of the greatest artist/sculptors of our time, Alexander Calder. Not only did he create a whole new form of art--MOBILES, he also was responsible for making us understand that art did not always have to succomb to the pull of gravity, that sculpture could be "light," it could take flight. (I put light in quotes because many of his monumental mobiles weighed tons.)

One of the things I love most about Calder is his joy. He delighted life with a vibrancy frequently seen in children but that gets lost when we reach adulthood. But not Sandy because he played all his life. He made things, out of wire or tin cans and bits of cloth. He created a circus that he performed hundreds of times. You can click the link and see him perform it, or go to the Whitney Museum and see the actual circus. He was the original performance artist.







He also created wonderful wire sculptures that were "space drawings," using wire to create a "drawing" in the air, but one that could expand the limits of the two dimensional surface and take it into 3D. I have been fascinated by these for a long time and decided to try my own. Here you see Zebra Drinking and Lizard. They each respond with wiggly jiggling when touched, a ripple that makes them feel more alive.

These are joyful sculptures. They are not profound. But they are unique, ingeniously crafted and original.



I don't understand why the art world is so reluctant to find value in play, joy and humor. I feel any way I can bring more laughter into this life, it is a good thing? What do you think?