Hourglass and Target 1967

Alexander Calder made "Hourglass and Target" in 1967 with paint and, I’m guessing, some kind of brush. The colors are simple and direct, and there’s something playful, even childlike, about the shapes, like he was messing around with stencils. Looking at the surface, you can see the marks of the brushstrokes within the blue circle in the target on the right. It’s like Calder wasn’t trying to hide the process but let it be part of the work. The black hourglass form in the upper right is interesting, too; it's made with an outline and filled in with a solid, like a simple line drawing. Calder is often associated with his mobiles, but you can see his interest in simple shapes floating in space carried over here, in a different medium. This piece feels like a cousin to the work of Joan Miró. Like Miró, Calder embraces a sense of freedom and experimentation. Neither artist is looking for perfection but to embrace a certain joyful absurdity.