Utitled 1963

Here’s an untitled gouache painting by Alexander Calder, made in 1963. Calder is so well known for his kinetic sculptures, his mobiles, that it's easy to forget he also made paintings, and I love the way he approaches the page here, with such obvious pleasure! The colours are quite translucent, almost like sumi ink. It’s juicy, and you can really see the brushstrokes, especially in that gorgeous magenta background. The forms feel so spontaneous, like he’s almost doodling. Look at the big orange shape towards the top right, with the dark splodge above it. There’s a sense of controlled chaos here, it almost looks like an explosion, and I can imagine Calder just dropping the ink or paint onto the page. Calder reminds me a little of Joan Miró, another artist who found such freedom in abstraction. There’s a playfulness here, a sense of joy in the act of making, that’s so infectious. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t always have to be serious or heavy; it can be light, fun, and full of life.