4th Grade
Alexander Calder
Wire Sculptures
American sculptor who is best known for his colorful, whimsical abstract public sculptures and his innovative mobiles (kinetic sculptures powered by motors or air currents) which embraced chance in their aesthetic. Born into a family of artists, Calder's work first gained attention in Paris in the 1930s. He lived in many states in America, Pennsylvania, Arizona, California, and New York to name a few. But, most of his artwork was made in France where he lived for many years. Even at an early age, he was making sculptures out of found materials to mirror things he had seen. One big thing he was inspired by was watching the Tournament of Roses Parade... this is when he came up with the ideas for his sculptures of circus performers. |
1898–1976
Interesting: Calder was born in 1898 in Lawnton, Pennsylvania.[3] His actual birthday, however, remains a source of confusion. According to Calder's mother, Nanette (née Lederer), Calder was born on August 22, yet his birth certificate at Philadelphia City Hall, based on a hand-written ledger, stated July 22. When Calder's family learned about the birth certificate, they reasserted with certainty that city officials had made a mistake.
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1926-1928 Cirque Calder, a miniature circus fashioned from wire, cloth, string, rubber, cork, and other found objects. Designed to be transportable (it eventually grew to fill five large suitcases), the circus was presented on both sides of the Atlantic.
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Calder was the inventor of Kinetic Art... which is art that moves. |
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His Circus sculptures showed movement through the wires. This was accomplished after many hours of studying the circus performers and how they move around. How can we study these movements?
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Day 1: CONTOUR DRAWINGS:
Practice quick drawings of someone in motion. Grab a friend (or family member) and have them do poses of different actions. Examples: A pitcher pitching a baseball. A ballerina spinning. A volleyball player spiking the ball. A quarterback throwing a football. Draw quick sketches of them. Look closely at how the arms and legs bend.
Day 2: Wire sculpture:
Find your favorite pose. Make sure you can draw it. You have to be able to draw something before you can make it three dimensionally. You will then use pipe cleaners (or any wire) to create your sculpture. Make sure you can really see where the bends in the legs and arms go. Try to make some details that tell the viewer what you are making your statue do.