Calder Chess

A sumptuous compendium of Alexander Calder’s chess works, with ephemera and archival materials

This handsome volume celebrates Alexander Calder’s (1898-1976) fascination with the game of chess. It comprises two parts: the first presents The Knightmares Portfolio, an approximation of an unrealized publication conceived in 1944 but never published. It comprises 46 chess drawings by Calder inscribed with titles, alternate titles and puns by Marcel Duchamp, Mary Reynolds and Calder. The second part of the book features scholarly and experimental texts from Alexander S. C. Rower and Jed Perl, exploring such topics as Calder’s relationship with Duchamp (who was famously obsessed with chess) and his involvement in the 1944 exhibition The Imagery of Chess at Julien Levy Gallery. Archival documentation, ephemera and reproductions of Calder’s chess sets--including photographs of each chess piece and related works on paper--are also featured. A detailed chronology by Susan Brauer Dam completes this rich corpus.
Alexander S. C. Rower is the grandson of the artist, founder and president of the Calder Foundation. Since 1987, Rower has documented more than 22,000 works by Calder and established an extensive archive dedicated to all aspects of the artist’s career. He has curated and collaborated on over 100 Calder exhibitions worldwide.
Jed Perl was the art critic for the New Republic for 20 years and a contributing editor to Vogue for a decade. He is currently a regular contributor to the New York Review of Books. Among his many books are Calder: The Conquest of Time, Magicians and Charlatans, Antoine’s Alphabet, New Art City and Paris Without End. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and teaches at the New School in New York.
Susan Braeuer Dam is Director of Research and Publications for the Calder Foundation.