DINNER BELL 1942

This is Alexander Calder’s “Dinner Bell,” made with glass and wire. Calder was born into a family of artists and engineers. This inheritance perhaps explains his capacity to blend art with technology. At first glance, the dinner bell seems to function like a child’s toy, however, this whimsical quality should not distract us from the work's sophisticated commentary on form and function. Calder creates a dialogue between utility and art. Through the fluid movement of the glass pieces and the stark lines of the wire framework, Calder also creates a sense of weightlessness and balance. Calder breaks the mold, moving beyond the traditional sculptural forms of his time, while evoking a sense of play and wonder. His work encourages us to reflect on our own relationships to art and to question the boundaries between the aesthetic and the functional.