MYRTLE BURL 1941

Alexander Calder made "Myrtle Burl" with metal and wood, and the magic of engineering. I just love the feeling that Calder created this as if he was tending a little garden of color. There's this rough, earthy burl at the base, and then these delicate metal stems that reach up, each holding a painted leaf. It's like Calder took a piece of nature and then added his own playful twist. I can imagine him in his studio, carefully balancing each element. Did he consider the relationship between natural and artificial? Or was he led by something completely different? Each painted leaf moves in its own way. You can see Calder's unique approach to sculpture and color, and his place in a lineage of artists who are interested in form and movement. With "Myrtle Burl," Calder reminds us that art is everywhere and there is always an ongoing conversation between artists and ideas.