UNTITLED (ROOSTER) 1925

Alexander Calder made this cheeky rooster with ink on paper. It’s all about gesture. Just look at the speed and confidence of those lines! I love how the heavy black ink sits on that creamy paper, it gives the rooster a real graphic punch. You can see the artist really responding to the materiality of the ink, letting it pool in some areas while keeping it light and scratchy in others. See how he uses one continuous line to define the rooster's comb, back, and tail? It is almost like he’s improvising, letting the ink flow and following wherever it leads him. And there are minimal underdrawings, it's a gut response! Calder reminds me a bit of Matisse, always experimenting with line and form. Both artists invite you to see the world with a fresh, playful perspective. I feel like it's all about embracing the unexpected and finding beauty in the simplest of forms.