Black, White, and Ten Red 1957

Alexander Calder made this mobile called Black, White, and Ten Red, and just imagining the act of making it, shifting and emerging through trial, error, and intuition… I wonder how long it took him to get the balance just right. I think about Calder, working away, maybe in his studio in France, trying to bring a sense of playfulness and lightness to his work. I can almost see him gently bending the wire, feeling the give of the metal, and carefully positioning each painted shape. The simple color palette is so bold, isn't it? Ten red discs dancing in the air, anchored by that stark black and a single white, like planets in orbit. This piece reminds me of the work of Joan Miró, also playing with abstract shapes, and maybe even the constructivist sculptures of Naum Gabo, but with an added sense of whimsy. It’s like a conversation happening between artists across time and space. It’s a reminder that art is never static, and that artists are always inspiring each other, trying new things, and seeing the world in different ways.