The Waves ‘Les Vagues’ 1974

Here we have Alexander Calder’s, ‘The Waves’. With primary colors and confident black outlines on a white ground it’s so simple and yet striking. I can almost feel Calder leaning over the page, his brush loaded with bright pigment, letting his hand sweep and glide. Look how the red and blue shapes seem to dance and intertwine! There’s such freedom and joy in these gestures. I wonder if he was listening to music, maybe jazz? Calder made paintings but is more famous for his sculptures, so maybe this is a way of exploring similar ideas on a flat surface. It reminds me a bit of Matisse's cut-outs, that same sense of playful exploration with bold shapes. Artists, you know, we're all just riffing off each other, building on ideas, pushing them further. This feels like a real conversation starter, an invitation to see the world in a new light.