Romses 1976

Alexander Calder made "Romses" out of gouache on paper. Isn’t it wild how the simplest shapes can create such a sense of play? The way Calder lays down these triangles, almost like a child's building blocks, it’s about the pure joy of color and form. This piece feels less about a specific image and more about the act of making itself. I love how he uses gouache, its matte surface and opaque quality really make those colors pop. The brushstrokes are clearly visible, it's not about hiding the process but celebrating it. Notice the landscape behind the pyramids, it’s almost like he’s using the texture of the paper to create those effects. The way he overlaps the blue and red triangles to create a sense of depth, or the way the black lines give definition to the shapes, it’s a beautiful balancing act between chaos and control. You can see a similar bold use of color and simplified forms in the work of Joan Miró, another artist who wasn't afraid to embrace the childlike spirit of creation. For Calder, like Miro, art is an ongoing experiment, an invitation to see the world with fresh eyes, but he also embraced more playful and sometimes comedic forms, which is not always apparent in Miro's work.