Descending Loops 1968

Alexander Calder made this lovely print, Descending Loops, sometime in the sixties, and it's one of those images that’s both simple and totally absorbing. There’s something very playful about the black calligraphic loops at the top, and the way they contrast with the flat areas of primary color, it's like a balancing act. Looking closely, you can see how Calder’s put down thin layers of paint, letting the white of the paper peek through, which keeps everything feeling light and airy. Those wandering lines remind me of wire, which makes sense considering his mobiles. Check out the way the red and blue overlap near the top – it's like he’s almost inviting you to mix the colors in your head. Descendants of Miro perhaps? Anyway, the way Calder embraces chance and improvisation reminds me that art is always a process of discovery, rather than just a neat presentation of a fixed idea.