Tattooed Man 1970

In this work made in 1970, Alexander Calder used ink on paper to render a head with graphic black lines. Imagine him there, his hand moving with a kind of playful deliberation. It’s all so economical, like he’s trying to capture the essence of form with the fewest marks possible, turning simple lines into something monumental. The thick, dark lines give the piece a bold, almost assertive presence. I see the way the lines curve and swirl, especially around the eyes, which is hypnotic. It’s all in the rhythm and the variation of the line, a push and pull that makes you feel like the piece is vibrating with energy. Calder was, of course, also a sculptor, and you can feel the sculptural sensibility at play here. It is about volume and space. This guy is related to Picasso and Klee, and all the modernists who were interested in tribal art. There's a real exchange happening here. It's a reminder of the ongoing conversation between artists across time.