Wood Worms 1962

This is Alexander Calder’s ‘Wood Worms’, made with ink and watercolor on paper, and you can see that Calder's approach is wonderfully playful. The red ground is made of layered, translucent washes, giving it a glowing, almost unsettling energy. Within this energetic field, Calder orchestrates a series of dark, organic shapes, haloed with the white of the page. These shapes feel so immediate, like the artist gave them permission to spill and spread naturally. Notice the way the black ink bleeds and feathers into the paper, creating these wonderfully unpredictable textures. It’s as if Calder allowed the materials to have a conversation of their own. I see a dialogue here between control and chance, mirroring the delicate balance inherent in Calder's mobiles. His work shares the lineage of artists like Joan Miró, who also found beauty in the spontaneous gesture. It reminds us that art is a constant exploration, a journey full of surprises.