Personnage 1946

Alexander Calder made this painting, Personnage, with paint on canvas. Look at the way he approaches form, its like he is inventing a whole new language to describe a figure, it's amazing. The paint is applied pretty flat, but then, you notice the way he plays with shapes, it is almost like he is constructing a stage for a theater. The areas of gray, orange and red form the perfect backdrop for the black, anthropomorphic characters. In the top right there is an almost circular line bending down to meet the body of the main figure – it reminds me of Joan Miro. Calder is, of course, known for his mobiles, and it is interesting to see how his paintings and sculptures speak to one another, using the same vocabulary of shapes and colors. It's all about exploring the playful side of art.