1. Alexander Calder

2. Alexander Calder’s life as an artist
Alexander Calder was born into a family of artists. His grandfather created all of the sculptures for City Hall in Philadelphia, Pa.
His father was a sculptor who worked on many of the fountains in the city of Philadelphia, Pa.
Alexander went to college for engineering but changed his mind to study art.

3. Young Calder in his studio

4. Calder’s early work Alexander Calder started out as a wire sculptor.
He studied people and animals from the circus.
He created portraits in wire.

5. Calder’s paintings
Alexander Calder used the primary colors

6. Calder’s paintings Alexander Calder used organic shapes
in his paintings

7. Calder’s paintings
Alexander Calder used geometric shapes in his paintings

8. Calder’s other paintings
Alexander Calder painted a BMW and a 747 airplane
He also painted the sides and outdoor ceilings of buildings

9. Calder’s stabile sculptures
Alexander Calder created stabile sculptures. Stabile sculptures are rigid; parts do not move.
What colors did he use?
What shapes can you identify?
Are the shapes organic or geometric?

10. Calder’s Mobile/Stabile Sculptures
Alexander Calder created mobile/stabile sculptures (parts stay still and parts move).
What colors did he use?
What shapes can you identify?
Are the shapes organic or geometric?

11. Calder’s Mobile/Stabile Sculptures

12. Calder’s Mobile/Stabile Sculptures

13. Calder working on a Mobile

14. Calder’s Mobiles
Alexander Calder invented the mobile. Marcel Duchamp named it.
Calder used the colors and shapes from his wire sculptures to create moving sculptures - mobiles

15. Calder’s Mobiles

16. Calder’s Mobile inside the East Wing of the National Gallery

17. Mobile/Stabile outdoor sculpture in Washington, DC

18. Student work