Alexander Calder's Hand and Mobile 1952

Gordon Parks captured this image of Alexander Calder’s hand amidst one of his mobiles. The hand, reaching into the frame, is the dominant symbol here. The image of a hand appears throughout art history, from ancient cave paintings to Renaissance masterpieces. Consider Michelangelo’s *Creation of Adam*, where the hand of God reaches out to give life. Here, the hand suggests a more secular act of creation, the artist intervening in his work. This gesture of reaching, of intervention, is a powerful motif that touches upon our collective memory. It speaks to our subconscious understanding of creation, influence, and the human desire to shape our environment. In this photograph, the mobile appears as an extension of the hand, blurring the boundaries between the artist and the art.