7 Circles Abstract 1966

This '7 Circles Abstract' was made by Alexander Calder in 1966, probably using gouache or something similar on paper. Can you imagine Calder in his studio? He's got that brush loaded with color, kind of juicy-like. There's a really playful push-and-pull happening here with the brushstrokes and colors, yellow, blue, orange, black. It's easy to imagine him figuring it out as he goes. Look at those horizontal marks, the yellow ones, the black ones – are they water? Or are they sky? The floating circles are kind of celestial but also very material in their application of paint. I love how it is balanced between order and play. You see, in abstract painting, you can create new worlds and new logics. Calder’s playful use of form reminds me of Miró or Klee. This painting is an invitation to engage with a visual language that's immediate and intuitive. I think artists are constantly riffing off each other through time, and we get to listen in.