Sphere on Four Prongs 1969

Alexander Calder made this painted object called "Sphere on Four Prongs" in 1969, seemingly with gouache on paper. It's bold and simple, everything reduced to its most playful form. You can see how Calder works through the forms to find their simplest expression. Look at the matte quality of the paint, it’s not shiny or trying to be anything other than what it is. The way the black paint has a slight texture, almost like velvet, gives it a real presence. The red stripes on the sphere feel very dynamic against the solid black prongs. It’s funny how the prongs are both supporting the sphere and also look like they are emerging from it. That little detail, the way the sphere’s colour bleeds into the prongs, is what makes this piece sing, and makes the whole composition so alive! Calder’s work has a lightness that reminds me of Joan Miró. But where Miró’s forms often float in ambiguous space, Calder gives us a sense of grounded, playful energy. Both artists embrace ambiguity and leave space for our imaginations to wander.