Bouées 1973

Alexander Calder made this painting called "Bouées," probably with gouache or maybe thinned acrylic, and it's just so buoyant! I love how Calder uses these flat, bold colors and simple shapes. It's like he's saying, "Here's the essence of a buoy – round, colorful, floating." Look at that red buoy, the way it sits on the water, it's a little wobbly, a little off-center, like it's actually moving with the waves. The paint is applied quickly, you can see the gestures. The whole painting is just full of playful energy, and it reminds me a bit of Miró, another artist who wasn't afraid to embrace the childlike and the whimsical. But where Miró is all about biomorphic forms and surreal landscapes, Calder is more grounded in the physical world, even when he's playing with abstraction. It’s not so much about a final perfect artwork, but a conversation and exchange of ideas across time.