Intricate: Calder and the Poetry of Science
Featured Images
Alexander Calder, Four Boomerangs, c. 1949. Sheet metal, paint, and steel wire; 39 × 63 in. diameter (99.1 × 160 cm diameter). Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Gift of Ruth Horwich, 1991.92
© 2022 Calder Foundation, New York/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New YorkPhoto: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago
Alexander Calder, Little Face, c. 1943. Copper wire, thread, glass, and wood; 13 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 6 in. (34.3 x 26.7 x 15.2 cm). The Leonard and Ruth Horwich Family Loan, EL1995.6. © 2017 Calder Foundation, New York/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
© 2022 Calder Foundation, New York/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New YorkPhoto: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago
Alexander Calder, A Detached Person, 1944/1968, Ed: 2/6. Bronze, 19 x 18 1/2 x 17 in. (48.3 x 47 x 43.2 cm). Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, The Leonard and Ruth Horwich Family Loan, EL1995.5
© 2022 Calder Foundation, New York/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New YorkPhoto: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago
Alexander Calder, Performing Seal, 1950. Sheet metal, paint, and steel wire; 33 x 23 x 36 in. (83.8 x 58.4 x 91.4 cm).Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, The Leonard and Ruth Horwich Family Loan, EL1995.7
© 2022 Calder Foundation, New York/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New YorkPhoto: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago
About the Exhibition
This exhibition looks at the work of Alexander Calder (b. 1898, Lawnton, PA; d. 1976, New York, NY) not only through the poetic nature of his artworks but also through his intuitive demonstration of scientific principles. Using the framework of four different concepts in physics—balance, fulcrums, inertia, and drag—a new layer of complexity and beauty is revealed in Calder's artistic practice. Eight of his works are on display in Intricate: Calder and the Poetry of Science, each an illustration of how instinct and precision create the effortless kinetic movement for which Calder's works are known.
Intricate: Calder and the Poetry of Science utilizes a selection of works from The Leonard and Ruth Horwich Family Foundation gifts, extended loans, and Ruth Horwich gifts. The exhibition is curated by Lynne Warren, guest curator and former MCA curator.