FOUR PLANES ESCARPÉ 1967

Alexander Calder’s "Four Planes Escarpé" is constructed from bolted steel plates, placed outdoors in a mountainous landscape. The black planes form sharp angles, creating an intense contrast between the sculpture's edges and the soft, organic surroundings. This is Calder in a severe mood. The matte surface of the steel absorbs light, enhancing the work's imposing presence. Look at how each plane intersects, a dance of line and form, echoing both natural peaks and modernist abstraction. I love how these angular shapes cut through the air, asserting their space in the landscape. There’s a starkness here that reminds me a bit of some of Richard Serra’s work, but with a lighter touch, almost like a sketch in steel. It plays with the contrast between the industrial and the natural, a conversation between human creation and the landscape.