Double Moonscape 1973

Alexander Calder made this gouache painting, "Double Moonscape," in 1973, and the colors are like traffic signals – red, yellow, black, blue – shouting at you across the white of the paper. You get the sense he wasn't trying to be precious. He was playing. Look closely, and you see the paint handling is straightforward, flat, and opaque. It's clear what tools he used – brushes, probably inexpensive ones, dragging the color to the edges of simple, geometric forms. Notice how the black lines, which define everything, sometimes wobble a bit. Those wobbly lines are so important to the feeling of the work, it gives the impression of dynamism and movement which is so characteristic of Calder's practice. It reminds me a little bit of Joan Miró, another artist who wasn't afraid to be playful and who had a very recognizable visual language which developed over time. Ultimately, it's a painting that embraces not having all the answers.