Small Wind Vane 1953

Editor: This is Alexander Calder’s "Small Wind Vane," created in 1953, using mixed media. I am really struck by the interplay between the very deliberate geometric shapes and the almost chaotic lines and drips in this work. What’s your take on it? Curator: The interplay you noted is central. We see Calder engaging in a dialogue between the planned and the accidental. Notice how the black lines, reminiscent of tree branches or perhaps cracks, intersect and frame fields of pure color. How does this intersection of the organic line with the hard-edged geometric, affect your understanding of the piece? Editor: I guess it gives it a feeling of being both controlled and wild at the same time, as though the solid geometric shapes were almost trying to keep everything together. I mean, is there a tension or dynamism there, do you think? Curator: Precisely. Calder is consciously investigating the relationships between line, form, and color. We see a tension arising from the contrasting weights and directional pulls of each compositional element, generating movement on the canvas, despite its static nature. Are you familiar with theories of visual weight? Editor: Not really, but it sounds like that could be useful to understanding this. It's fascinating how he manages to create such a sense of dynamism with such simple forms, though. Curator: Indeed. Calder is investigating how these individual components relate, contrast, and harmonize to constitute the whole. And the title? Doesn't that further prime the viewer to look for visual cues that convey motion and balance? Editor: Absolutely! It changes my reading a bit to consider "wind". Now, everything looks ready to move! Curator: Considering the visual weight of forms really opens the work to new understandings.