C-Alderman 1956

'C-Alderman' was made by Alexander Calder using ink on paper. The looping black lines on this red ground really vibrate, don't they? Calder's known for his mobiles, but you can see the same sense of playful balance in these bold, graphic strokes. Look closely and you'll notice that these aren't perfect lines, and you can see the hand of the artist in every wiggle and wobble. I like to think of them as a record of movement, like a dance across the page. The red background is laid down pretty flat, and that lets the black lines really pop, creating depth in what is essentially a very simple composition. Those looping marks remind me a bit of Miro, or even some outsider art, where the artist is just letting their imagination run wild. It all adds up to something that feels both carefully considered and totally free. Art doesn’t need to be complicated to be powerful, and this is a piece that really embraces ambiguity.