Alexander Calder: Minimal Maximal

Calder’s sculptural works can fit in the palm of a hand, or tower over a city square. This fascinating exhibition catalogue examines how the artist’s sensitivity to matters of size, scale and shape engaged audiences in a variety of ways. Few artists are able to work successfully on both large and small scales, but throughout his career Calder brilliantly moved from the miniature to the monumental and back again. This monograph focuses on the enormous sculptures he created for the Mies van der Rohe-designed building that houses the Neue Museum in Berlin, Germany, as well as on metal mobiles and miniature creations, such as his circus and chess set, to shed light on the social and performative aspect of his work. Essays explore how Calder approached the effects of kinetics and space, solidity and transparency, stasis and activity, volume and void. The book also looks at how Calder’s miniature sculptures echoed the public spectacle of his larger pieces, creating a private drama that encouraged direct participation. Whatever the size, Calder’s works always employed movement and interaction and this enlightening book helps readers appreciate the important continuity of his oeuvre. 51 colour, 57 b/w illustrations