RED PANEL 1936

Editor: This is Alexander Calder's "RED PANEL" from 1936. It looks like it’s made of painted wood and metal. It feels like a playful combination of painting and sculpture to me. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The enduring appeal lies in its careful placement of shapes. Calder, influenced by his background in mechanical engineering, treats the mobile elements as visual words. The colours - a muted earthy green, bright yellow - can evoke distinct emotional registers. Does the arrangement call to mind any pre-existing images, icons, or signs? Editor: Not immediately, though the red panel could represent many things - blood, anger, passion… Curator: Indeed. Red often does function as a strong emotional signifier, and think about it, its grounding as a foundation that the mobile components float and depend on... Is there a dialogue that comes into being, something rising or falling or caught in-between? What feelings does it stir in you? Editor: There is tension. The shapes seem on the verge of colliding, but don’t. I also find it surprisingly serene. Curator: Consider too the date it was created - 1936. Europe was on the brink of war. How might anxieties and the balance of power be expressed here, even unconsciously? The unsettling is often conveyed with abstract symbols like geometric shapes and strategic colour selection, resonating with our shared cultural subconscious. Editor: That’s fascinating! I hadn’t considered the historical context in relation to the symbolism of color and form. I am really starting to grasp a different point of view about this piece. Curator: Precisely; these objects can speak so clearly about complex realities.