BROOCH 1938

Alexander Calder made this Brooch using metal and stone, and I love the way the materials speak to each other. It's like a little solar system right there on your lapel. The bent wire that makes up the sun’s rays is so playful and free, like he just picked it up and started doodling in space. Then you've got these chunks of raw stone, bursting with color, held in place with the same thin wire. Look how he uses that wire to cage the stones, like the lines of a drawing but in real space! The stones give it weight, and the wire gives it lift, so it feels like it could take off any minute. It reminds me of Joan Miró's paintings, with their floating shapes and playful lines. But Calder takes it off the canvas and makes it something you can wear. It's a reminder that art doesn't have to be serious, it can be something fun and a little bit silly and alive.