Blue Elephant with Red Ears 1971

This "Blue Elephant with Red Ears" was created by Alexander Calder out of metal, with some handy tools to cut and bend the sheet. The thing about metal is that it doesn't want to bend! There is a constant push-pull between the artist and the materials, and it's about finding that point of equilibrium. Look closely at the elephant’s trunk: see how it curls just so, like a playful question mark? It’s the kind of gesture that brings the whole piece alive. The metal is painted with flat colours, so it becomes this playful, almost cartoon-like figure. Calder was all about movement, about making art that’s alive and responsive. The way he balances the static and the dynamic, the flat and the dimensional, reminds me of Picasso, who was similarly pushing the boundaries of form and representation. It’s all about exploring the possibilities of art, and not being afraid to ask, "What if?"