Artworks by Alexander Calder

AlexanderCalder (1898-1976) received a degree in mechanical engineering at StevensInstitute of Technology (New Jersey) prior tostudying at the Art Students League in NewYork between 1923 and 1925. In 1926 Calder receivedhis first solo exhibition of paintings. Shortly thereafter, he began working ona miniature circus comprised of wood and wire figures until its completion in1931. That same year, Calder started to construct "mobiles"-abstractsculpture with moving parts. Calder's creative enterprises werecross-disciplinary and exceeded the traditional definitions of painting andsculpture; throughout the course of his career Calder developed sets for avariety of theatrical, musical, and dance performances, collaborated on films,illustrated books, produced wallpaper, fabrics, and costumes, created designsfor racing cars and airplanes, and embraced humanitarian causes. Calder'senterprising outlook was in many ways connected to his enthusiasm for travel.As a result of his multifarious involvements, Calder secured an internationalreputation and was awarded commissions, prizes and honorary degrees around theworld.

Accoladesinclude: a commission for the Spanish Pavilion at the Paris World's Fair(1937); first prize in the Rohm and Haas Plexiglass Sculpture Competition forthe World's Fair Hall of Industrial Science (1939); the Outstanding Citizenaward by the City of Philadelphia (1955); separate commissions for the BrusselsWorld's Fair, the UNESCO building in Paris and the Idlewild (now Kennedy) InternationalAirport in New York (all 1958); first prize at the Carnegie InternationalExhibition (1958); the Gold Medal of the Architectural League of New York award(1960); election to the National Institute of Arts and Letters, New York(1960); award of the American Institute of Architects' medal (1961); the Art inAmerica annual award for Outstanding Contribution to American Art (1962);election to the American Academy of Art and Letters, New York (1964); titleChairman of Artists for SANE / Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy (1965);conferral of Honorary Doctor of Art degree by Harvard University (1966);conferral of Honorary Doctor of Engineering degree by Stevens Institute ofTechnology (1969); the Gold Medal for Sculpture from the Academy of Arts and Letters,New York (1971); the Grand Prix National Des Arts et Lettres by the FrenchMinister of Culture (1975); the U.N. Peace Medal award (1975); and theBicentennial Artist award by the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York(1976).