Gyrating Orb 1966

Alexander Calder made this watercolor, Gyrating Orb, in 1966, and the word that comes to mind is playful. The way he's slapped down this yellow ground, it's thin and washy, like a sunny day you could just step right into. Then there's the parade of shapes: circles, spots and wiggly lines dancing across the page. Take that swooping black line, how it barrels through the green orb like a playful interruption. I think it might be paint straight from the tube, squeezed out, bold and matte. It's a total contrast to the watery translucence everywhere else. The red orb with its jaunty ring seems to be in motion, as if it might float right off the page! I feel like Calder is in conversation with Joan Miró here, both of them so good at making serious art that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a reminder that art is an ongoing experiment, an adventure in seeing.