Bijoux 1976

Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by the whimsy of the piece; it possesses a playful and almost decorative character. Editor: This is "Bijoux," an acrylic on painting created by Alexander Calder in 1976. Calder, of course, is renowned for his mobiles, but his paintings often get overlooked. Curator: "Bijoux"—jewels—that’s certainly suggested here. Note how the eye is led through a vibrant concentric pattern of yellow, blue, and red that radiates like the facets of a precious stone. There is a clear focal point. Editor: Absolutely. It’s interesting to view this painting within the wider context of Calder’s career. He comes to painting relatively late. And one can argue the visual vocabulary of his earlier sculptures gets translated to a new medium. Curator: Agreed, there is an interplay between form and surface here, a tension created by these graphic and almost linguistic marks contrasting against a background that gives shape, or gives 'ground' to it all. It is so typical of mid-century artistic ideas, one that is at once deeply modern but feels antique too. Editor: We also should note Calder's contribution to the war effort. The influence of naval camouflage strategies and how to avoid detection would have lasting consequences, and you see some similar concepts emerge in his more abstract approaches after that. Curator: Now, this interests me profoundly. This context does, indeed, shift my reading of the work. We can consider how forms become deflections. What did you have in mind exactly? Editor: Specifically how art and industry converged in public imagination to make everyday technology easier to trust. He was quite attuned to the politics around these efforts and was making artwork that both advanced that political objective and his own. Curator: So, from a formal point of view, the swirling shapes might represent visual obstructions or screens—an abstraction with symbolic and critical social value. It’s about decoding, in some senses, to extract information for our viewing. Editor: Exactly. It also shows his complex vision as someone who saw art and public life inextricably linked. Curator: This offers a richer appreciation of "Bijoux," a visual statement reflecting deeper socio-political dynamics. Editor: Indeed, I am reminded how seemingly simple artworks can echo complex histories, provided you are curious.