Les Yeux et l’Oreille 1969

Alexander Calder made Les Yeux et l’Oreille with paint, one imagines quite quickly and intuitively. The palette is bold, dominated by strong black lines and shapes against a white background, punctuated by a striking red form. I can almost see Calder in his studio, brush in hand, moving around the canvas, responding to the emerging composition with playful energy. Maybe he was thinking about the relationship between seeing and hearing, how our senses intertwine and inform one another. The black lines create a dynamic rhythm across the surface, like sound waves or visual vibrations. That splash of red, so assertive against the monochrome, acts as a focal point, drawing the eye and adding a layer of complexity to the composition. The spirals echo throughout his work, particularly his mobiles, and remind us that painting is an ongoing conversation between artists across time and space. Calder is echoing Miro or Klee, but with his own spin, inviting us to see the world with fresh eyes and open ears.