Concentric Nebula 1967

Alexander Calder made this gouache painting in 1967; it’s called Concentric Nebula. It’s a trip, right? The bold colors and simple shapes feel playful, but also kind of cosmic. Look at the way he’s laid down the red – it's thin and washy, like watercolor, but with the punch of gouache. The way the concentric circles pull you in, like looking into a void, but also remind me of a target. Calder was all about movement, and even in this static painting, you can feel that energy. The circles vibrate. That central black swirl, with those wonky white lines, is so hypnotic. It's like he started in the middle and just kept going, not worrying about making it perfect. It reminds me that art is not about getting it right, but about the doing of it. You can feel the energy that Calder brought to his mobiles and stabiles here too. Like Joan Miró, Calder's work has a childlike simplicity that's actually super sophisticated. It’s about exploring the world with a sense of wonder.