The Pendulum 1974

Alexander Calder made this gouache on paper in 1974. It's a trip; all these shapes bumping up against each other in primary colors, like a playground for the eyes. You can almost see Calder there, can’t you? I mean, he's already so famous for his mobiles. But, here, he's laying it down flat. Those black lines, thick and confident, they kind of vibrate against that bright yellow background. He must have been thinking about movement, about how shapes can imply motion even when they’re still. It’s not just about color. Look at how he uses line to create different moods. The squiggly red lines feel totally different from the precise arcs in the top left. And that pendulum—is it swinging toward us or away? Is it at rest or about to be set in motion? I wonder if he felt like he was still making sculpture, only with paint and paper. He certainly gets the same sense of balance and play in it.