Mystery 1963

Alexander Calder created this painting “Mystery” with paint, probably gouache or watercolor. It is made of big, soft washes of red. Against this landscape of red sky, there are big black and brown splats, which pull downward from the center of a circle like an explosion in reverse, or like the blooming of an underwater flower. I imagine Calder, known for his joyful wire sculptures and mobiles, experimenting here with the element of chance, letting the paint drip and spread in unexpected ways. How interesting that someone who dedicated so much time to the controlled physics of balancing abstract shapes would also be interested in the chaotic, uncontrollable nature of wet paint. The addition of the red, yellow, and blue circles feels like a joke, a return to order and a suggestion of the solar system. This image sits somewhere between accident and control, reminding us of the mystery and magic in the most basic materials.