The Fuse 1947

Alexander Calder made this painting, "The Fuse," in 1947 using a brush. The rusty red ground looks like it was laid down fast, setting the stage for a mix of playful, geometric shapes. It’s interesting to notice the way Calder handles the paint. In that bold black spiral, you can see how the brush almost dances across the surface, leaving a slight trail of texture, but elsewhere the paint is really thin and flat. It’s a mixed bag, which creates an atmosphere of activity. The contrast between the controlled shapes and the more haphazard background makes it feel like the painting is alive. He’s got the spirit of Miro here, but also the seeds of artists like Elizabeth Murray, who found ways of making painting into a dynamic experience that’s as much about process as it is about the final image. It's a reminder that art is always in conversation, building on what came before, and looking toward what could be.