Exploding 1967

Alexander Calder made this painting, Exploding, in 1967, and it's a joyful explosion of color! You can see that the shapes are painted with a brush, rather than sprayed, so they have this really immediate quality that feels very human. It's all about the process. I love how Calder uses these simple shapes – circles and ovals – in such bold colors. There’s something so elemental about it. The paint is laid down pretty flat, so you can really see the texture of the paper coming through. It's like he's saying, "Here's a shape, here's a color, now let's see what happens when we put them together." Notice how that single, longer grey shape seems to anchor all the other brightly coloured shapes in the top left of the piece. It's like a shadow. For me, this piece has something of the energy of Joan Miró's paintings, but also something very unique, very Calder. It reminds us that art isn't about answers, it's about asking questions.