Zig Zag 1974

Alexander Calder made this painting, “Zig Zag”, with gouache on paper. I can imagine Calder, famous for his playful mobiles, experimenting with line and form here, trying to achieve a sense of movement and balance on a 2-dimensional surface. That big black swirl commands attention, doesn't it? I can almost feel Calder’s hand guiding the brush in a continuous, spiraling motion, layering black, red, and blue. The paint looks fluid and was applied quickly, intuitively perhaps. I love how the colors vibrate against each other and the white background, giving the whole composition a kinetic energy. The 'Zig Zag' in the title seems to refer to the yellow, angular shape on the left, contrasting nicely with the other shapes. It makes me think of Joan Miró and his biomorphic forms and how painting is a conversation, artists inspiring each other to see the world in new ways. Calder's use of color and bold lines really pulls you in, doesn't it?