Alexander Calder was an American sculptor and artist born in 1898 in Philadelphia to a family of artists. He studied mechanical engineering and art, and created kinetic sculptures and mobiles that incorporated movement. In 1926 he moved to Paris where he created toys, circus performances, and wire portraits of his artist friends. He is known for inventing mobiles, sculptures that moved suspended from the ceiling, as well as stabiles, static sculptures made of metal. His mobiles and stabiles can be found in public spaces around the world.

1. Alexander Calder
United States of America, 1898 – 1976

2. Was he a mechanic?
Or an inventor…
a sculptor…
a painter…
an engineer...
What did he do?

3. Calder’s family
▪ Alexander Calder was
born in Philadephia (USA)
into a family of artists.
▪ His father and his
grandfather were both
sculptors.
▪ His mother was a
professional portrait
painter.

4. Can you find the United States in a map?

5. Calder’s youth
▪ When he was 8, he had his
first set of tools.
▪ He liked creating toys and
things to play with, specially
things with movement.
▪ He studied Mechanical
Engineering and Art.
▪ Some people called him the
mechanical artist. Dog, 1909 Duck, 1909

6. Calder’s toys
▪ In 1926 he moved to Paris,
where he met many artist
friends.
▪ He liked having parties
with his friends.
▪ He started selling toys to
make some money.
▪ His toys became very
popular.
Kangaroo, 1927
Fish, 1960.

7. Calder’s Circus
▪ Calder liked the circus so
much that he created one
for himself.
▪ His artist friends in Paris
(Miró, Man Ray,
Mondrian…) liked it very
much.
▪ He performed the circus in
many places in Europe and
USA.

9. Calder’s wire sculptures
▪ Calder created
portraits of his friends
and famous people at
the moment.
▪ He used wire and
space, so he made
sculptures in 3D.
Portrait of
Joan Miró

10. Calder’s stabiles
▪ In the 1930’s he started
making stabiles, static
sculptures made of metal.
▪ He built the sculptures
bigger and bigger.
▪ Now these sculptures are
in the streets of different
cities.

12. Flamingo,
In Chicago.

13. Man,
In Quebec.

14. Calder’s mobiles
▪ In Paris, Calder became very
good friend of Miró and
Mondrian. They influenced in
his art.
▪ Calder started doing abstract
art. He used geometrical
figures like circles and
squares.
▪ He invented the mobiles,
sculptures that moved.

18. Glass
fish

19. Standing mobiles

22. Núria Lorenzo
CLIL Art & Crafts at Can Raspalls
2015/2016