Alexander Calder

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Alexander Calder (July 22 1898 - November 11 1976), also known as Sandy Calder, was an American sculptor and artist. He came from a family of sculptors, with both his father Alexander Stirling Calder and grandfather Alexander Milne Calder sharing the same name.

Calder is most famous for his "mobiles" - wire structures that were balanced both elegantly and whimsically - allowing motion and light to change and add to the piece. Calder invented this medium of moving abstract sculpture in 1925, which was given the name "mobile" by Marcel Duchamp. (Jean Arp suggested that non moving sculpture should similarly be referred to as "stabiles", but this failed to catch on widely.)

In addition to mobile and stable sculpture, Alexander Calder also created paintings, lithographs, and tapestry, and designed carpets.

Reporter:"How do you know when its time to stop [working]?"

Calder: "When it's suppertime."

- From television interview

External links

• The official Calder Foundation web site.