Small Blue Spot c. 1953

Alexander Calder made this playful painting with gouache on paper; a red horizon line sets the stage for a cast of characters. The paint is applied directly, each shape a deliberate mark that speaks to Calder's background in engineering – a balance of forms in motion, like his famous mobiles. Look at that small blue spot nestled at the bottom – a grounding point, or maybe the Earth itself! The brushstrokes are visible, transparent in places, especially in the long horizontal dash of red. I love the wonky circle on the lower right. It's not perfect, but that's the charm, right? It suggests a sort of openness, a window onto something else. When I see this painting I'm reminded of Miro. Both create a universe all their own.