Corn-meal 1977

Alexander Calder’s painting ‘Corn-meal’ is composed of flat, boldly colored shapes, reminiscent of cut paper. I can imagine the artist’s playful exploration, moving the elements around until they just felt right. Those spiraling forms, one black and white, one white on white, have a real energy; the kind that makes you want to wind them up like a child’s toy. The flat planes of red, yellow, and blue create a dynamic tension with the black amoeba-like shapes, pushing and pulling in a visual dance. I can relate to that feeling of pushing paint around, working between control and chance. This painting sits so well within Calder’s broader practice. Like his mobiles, these shapes feel like they are poised in mid-air, arranged in a delicate state of equilibrium. The simplicity of form and the direct use of color also feel connected to the work of artists like Miro or Matisse, with whom Calder was in dialogue. Painting is all about being in conversation, across generations, isn’t it?