Népal 1973

Alexander Calder made ‘Népal’ with gouache on paper in 1973, and it’s a total banger of color and form. I can imagine Calder laying down these bright peaks like he’s building a funky mountain range out of construction paper. The paint is thin, almost watery, which gives it this light, airy feeling. The red sun is so bold. It's a simple circle, yet it totally commands the space. I bet he was thinking about shapes, colors, and how they play off each other, like a total improvisational jazz solo! The way he overlaps the triangles reminds me of Picasso’s cubism but with Calder’s signature playful twist. It's like he’s saying, "Hey, art doesn't have to be serious, let’s have some fun with it!" These artists are always in conversation, bouncing ideas off each other. It's a beautiful, messy dialogue that keeps the art world spinning.