Alexander Calder: Radical Inventor

American artist Alexander Calder (1898-1976) created a ＂new line＂ that was not simply an evolution of forms and styles. From the start, it was clear to all who witnessed him at work that he was doing something radically new. This book, published to accompany a major exhibition, shows how Calder’s work emerged from expectations of change in American popular culture. Twelve essays from major contributors explore how Calder, among the first college-trained artists, found techniques and inspiration in many disciplines and their development, including technology, engineering, architecture, physics, and astronomy. All these contributed to the development of his wire sculptures, mobiles, and stabiles, including his famous Circus. Superb photographs of more than 100 works and comparative illustrations guide readers through this innovative and unique path.

Anne Grace, curator of exhibitions and education at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, is the organizing curator of the accompanying exhibition. Elizabeth Hutton Turner is professor of Modern art at the University of Virginia, former senior curator of the Phillips Collection, and a renowned scholar of Calder’s work. She has been a consultant for the Calder Museum Project in Philadelphia.