Dissolving Spiral 1963

Alexander Calder made this painting in 1963 using gouache, and you can just tell he had fun making it! Calder's brushstrokes are super direct, like a playful dance across the paper. Look how the spirals unwind, kinda shaky but full of energy. The colors are bright and happy, a sunny yellow backdrop with pops of red, blue and black. He’s thinned the paint to a watery consistency in places, and it spreads across the surface like watercolour. I’m drawn to the two dark shapes that look like exploding sea urchins with trails! These marks show Calder's love for the unexpected. Calder was primarily a sculptor, and in this painting, he has reduced his mobiles to flat, graphic shapes. You could see a connection to Miro in the simplified forms and floating composition, but Calder’s palette is brighter, more Pop. "Dissolving Spiral" is about enjoying the process and embracing the unpredictable. There are no mistakes in art, just happy accidents, right?