FRANK CROWNINSHIELD 1928

This is Alexander Calder's wire portrait of Frank Crowninshield, and it's all about seeing with a line. Calder's bending and shaping wire, finding a form through pure process. Look closely, and you can see how the wire loops and twists, creating a sense of volume and depth without actually filling in the space. It’s like he’s drawing in three dimensions! The wire is thin, almost delicate, but the way he bends it gives it strength and presence. See how the line that makes up the nose becomes the mouth and jaw, it's all one, and so economical! It's a testament to the power of suggestion. Calder’s line has a lot in common with Picasso’s line drawings, but with a sculptural twist. It’s about capturing the essence of a person with as few marks as possible, trusting the viewer to fill in the gaps. It's about how we see, and how little we need to see a whole world.