Untitled from Flight 1971

Alexander Calder made this "Untitled from Flight" with, well, I imagine printing inks, to make these flat shapes in yellow, red, blue and black. I can imagine Calder playing with stencils. How he might have shifted them slightly to let the colors vibrate, each form nudging the next. The simple shapes are like language, each holding its own space, humming with color. He's inviting us to see new forms in the making. And I wonder, did Calder ever think about how his mobiles and paintings speak to each other? Maybe he wanted to trap those floating mobiles on a flat surface. Anyway, what a cool thought, that our paintings can be in constant dialogue, teaching us new ways to see and feel.