Yin & Yang on Yellow 1967

Alexander Calder made 'Yin & Yang on Yellow' with gouache on paper. Look at this joyous yellow ground. The red and black shapes kinda bounce around. You can imagine the artist in a playful mood, perhaps even a bit mischievous. I love to think about how the consistency of paint can inform the mood of a piece. Here, the gouache is thin, fluid, and almost watery in parts. The edges aren't too crisp, so it feels light and airy, not at all overworked. The snaking black line on the left made me smile. It's so casual, so free. It's like Calder just let his hand dance across the paper. These kinds of intuitive gestures are at the heart of painting. It's all about feeling and experimenting, not just illustrating what you see, or think. Calder's a big name, but he reminds me that the spirit of play is alive and kicking.