Rouge feu 1974

Alexander Calder made this gouache painting, Rouge feu, sometime in his later years. The spiral is so hypnotic. There’s something about the way Calder returns to simple shapes and colours throughout his work, like the primary colours in his mobiles, that makes you feel like you’re seeing something elemental. Here, the paint is pretty flat and opaque, but you can see the movement of the brush in the red ground, like it was laid down quickly. Calder’s line has so much personality: look at how the black lines of the spiral vary in width, becoming thinner and more tentative toward the center, like he’s feeling his way into the painting. It’s a reminder that artmaking is a process, not just a product. Calder reminds me a bit of Joan Miró, who was also interested in simple forms and playful compositions. Both artists embraced a sense of childlike wonder in their work, and that’s something I really admire. Ultimately, this piece shows us how much can be said with so little.