The Mobile Factory

Hypnotic Wind Sculptue

2012-01-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

I love this amazing and hypnotic wind sculpture by Anthony Howe

Steve's Desk

2011-10-17T17:28:00.000-07:00

I was studying this great photo of Steve Jobs at his desk and noticed this (click for enlarged view)

photo by Diana Walker

Mary Calder Rower 1939 -2011

2011-10-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

A wonderful retrospective can be found here:

Mary Calder Rower - The Brooklyn Rail

This is what makes it all worthwhile...

2011-07-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading two wonderful emails that I received this morning from some clients, and I feel compelled to say that the best thing about making art is the experience of sharing it and meeting people. There are some really nice people in this world, and I have met many of them through The Mobile Factory. Thank you so much!

The John and Yoko of Modern Art

2011-06-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 76th birthday of one of the great artists of our time, Christo Vladimirov Javacheff - more commonly known as "Christo".

I first became aware of Christo back in the late 70's after seeing the wonderful documentary "Running Fence" by the Maysles brothers. If you have no idea who Christo is, I suggest that you begin with this film because it really gives you a sense of what his work is all about. A Christo piece is usually a temporary installation such as a fence, banner, or drape constructed on top of a particular structure or landscape. The sculpture seeks to interact with its environment by hiding certain features while highlighting others, and dynamically changing in response to changes in environmental conditions. Often, these sculptures are quite expansive in size and require careful engineering to be produced.

For example, Running Fence was an 18 foot-high fence constructed of white nylon fabric supported by cables and steel posts that followed 25 miles of hills and valleys in Northern California on its way to the Pacific Ocean. From a distance, the fence caught the rays of the sun throughout the day creating a beautiful ribbon of light running along the contours of the landscape. But the physical sculpture itself, as beautiful as it was, was only one element of the piece. When you watch the documentary, you begin to understand that Christo is really using his art to engage with the public in the broadest possible way; from early concept, through funding and regulatory approvals, design, construction by volunteers, maintenance, and disassembly, you learn that his work is all about how people interact with art and the artist. And when you watch Christo get up in front of an audience of ranchers, city officials, and concerned citizens to defend his project, it is impossible not to fall in love with his energy, sincerity, and dynamic personality. And he looks like an artist should look.

photo by Wolfgang Volz

And if that is not enough to make you love Christo, then I will point out that his relationship with Jeanne-Claude, his wife, is one of the greatest love stories in modern art. Born on the exact same day in different countries, they met at the age of 23 when Christo left Bulgaria to live in Paris as a refugee. They met and fell in love, but Jeanne-Claude was engaged to another and her parents did not approve of Christo and insisted that the marriage plans be carried out. They probably did not know that she was already pregnant with Christo's child on the day of the wedding. After only one week, Jeanne-Claude left her new husband and fled back to Christo, never to leave his side until the day she died in 2009. Working as a team, they created some of the most unique, dramatic, and inspirational art of the 20th century.

photo by Andy Carvin via Flickr

Thinking Tool

2011-06-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

Olafur Eliasson: "Thinking Tool", 2010.

Mirror, sunglasses (2 halves/complementary colors).

Big Red Thing

2011-06-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

Few cities have identified themselves with a work of art as much as Grand Rapids, Michigan has with Alexander Calder's sculpture, La Grand Vitesse. Commissed in 1967 and built with funds awarded as the very first "Art in Public Places" program of the National Endowment of Arts, the city has identified itself so closely with the sculpture that it even uses iconic images of it on the city street signs.

Here is a really nice website that showcases an abundance of submitted photos taken of this great Calder stabile and the many ways that the citizens of Grand Rapids enjoy it. Definitely worth checking out!

Big Red Thing

Bach - performed by a wooden ball

2011-04-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

I think that is the best rolling ball sculpture that I have yet seen. Take note of the method used to create the proper timing for the musical piece. Very well done and worth watching!

k

MODEL A’LA EXPERIMENT

2011-03-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of an interesting architectural model created by Rasmus Svingel, produced while he was a student at the Aarhaus School of Architecture in Denmark.

Experiment process model from Rasmus Svingel on Vimeo.

Rasmus describes it as "an investigation of space and program diversity through movement". The concept for the model was originally created in a digital computer program and then "processed into an analog model". Rasmus explains that the model is his attempt to study how a structure might adapt to changing needs necessitated by climate, space, etc.

My first impression was an appreciation for the design and beauty of the model, as it resembles some mobile ideas that I have been working on. When I opened the video to see more, I was delighted to find that it is in fact a beautiful kinetic sculpture - using a series of carbon fibre wires and rubber bands to produce movement.

Be sure to check out more of Rasmus' designs in his online portfolio. He has some wonderful ideas, and if his career in architecture doesn't work out, I would suggest that he would have a bright future as an artist...a career transition that happens more often than you would expect.

Rasmus Svingel online portfolio

Dan Grayber

2011-02-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

Dan Grayber's sculptures look like something you would find in a mechanical engineering lab at some university, or perhaps in an R&D department at Caterpillar, Inc. The abundance of springs, cables, chains, pulleys, thread forms and structural beams painted in yellow makes them highly interesting to look at. All of them use the physics of compression, tension, leverage and friction to provide mechanisms for the self-sufficient support of each sculpture within its environment. You'll find them wedged inside glass domes, clinging to corners, and stuck into vertical walls.

I really love how these sculptures first captivate you with their mix of complex beauty and industrial workmanship, and then puzzle you as you try to figure out how all of the pieces function together to make it work. The punch line comes when you begin to wonder what would happen if a cable or a spring failed, or a rubber pad slipped, and all of the potential energy in the piece was suddenly liberated. I had to chuckle over one comment that Dan made about one of his sculptures having some "issues with gravity"

Good stuff. Be sure to check out Dan's website for more....

Bongue Amplifier by Studio Toer

2011-01-18T16:13:00.000-08:00

I don't quite understand how this "Kinetic Amplifier" works, but I love the way it looks and moves!

See more, including a video here, at MoCo Loco

Robert B. Howard

2010-12-15T02:58:00.000-08:00

"Multiple Compass" - Robert B. Howard Photo by Ian Reeves

I really like this mobile by Robert Boardman Howard (1896 - 1983). This article describes the propeller-like sculpture as being black, with dark blue blotches painted on it, suggesting the markings on military aircraft.

Here is another one of his sculptures at the San Francisco MOMA:

This sculpture is entitled "Ram". The photo does not convey the mammoth size of this sculpture, which is listed in the SFMOMA website as being 117 inches (nearly 10 feet) tall! It appears that the three-legged geometric shape is free to rotate on the bulbous black base.

Here is another sculpture in wood, also at the SFMOMA, which I like the best of the three. It is called "Semaphore".

photo by Marsi - via Flickr

Here is a picture that I found of a party in his studio. You can see some interesting mobiles and stabiles. Hey, that guy on drums looks like Bobby Kennedy!

I've tried to find more information about this artist via the Internet without much success. Wikipedia mentions his name as being one of the Coit Tower muralists from the California School of Fine Arts. Since there is also a painting in the holdings at the SFMOMA I suspect this is the same artist. I also found this memorial on the Internet but it appears to be about another artist with the same name - his birth/death dates do not match the dates listed in SFMOMA and there is no mention of Coit Tower or any involvement with San Francisco.

Do you know anything about Robert B. Howard? Leave a comment if you do!

Metropolis II, by Chris Burdon

2010-11-20T04:16:00.000-08:00

This kinetic sculpture by Chris Burdon is amazing.
I love the concept, and it is obvious that no expense has been spared in producing it.

Watch the video here

"Sprinzelfish" hanging mobile

2010-11-12T04:24:00.000-08:00

"Sprinzelfish" - hanging mobile by Unigami

Hello Mobile

2010-10-24T04:39:00.000-07:00

"Hello" - hanging mobile by Unigami

It only took a few minutes to make this. It's fun to watch the various letter combinations

that appear as it moves around...I may experiment with this a bit more...

Alexander Calder papers at the Smithsonian

2010-10-24T03:47:00.000-07:00

In 1963, Alexander Calder donated a collection of photographs, news-clippings, sketches, correspondence, and other personal documents including a passport and address book to the Smithsonian Institution. The stack of papers measured 2.5 feet tall and was microfilmed shortly after receipt.

This collection has been digitized, and is available for viewing online at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art.

Alexander Calder papers: 1926 - 1967

I spent well over an hour browsing this collection and I highly recommend that you check it out if you are a Calder fan. I especially enjoyed the family photographs and some of the news-clippings that were reviews of various exhibits from early in Calder's career. Many of these are in French...I wish I could read them!

Frustration

2010-10-21T17:51:00.001-07:00

I’m frustrated…I think this would be a beautiful mobile, but I can’t figure out how to do the wiring without things becoming cumbersome. Guess I’ll file this one away for now and hopefully come back to it later.

What's in a name?

2010-10-17T06:03:00.000-07:00

"Spacely" - hanging mobile by Unigami

I'd like to introduce you to "Spacely", my latest mobile design. My original plan was to name it "Proteus", a sea-god from Greek mythology (and a cool submarine in the movie Fantastic Voyage), but when I hung it up for the first time after everything was painted I thought it looked like something out of The Jetsons and "Spacely" immediately popped into my mind. I'll reserve "Proteus" for something later on.

It's fun to name a mobile. Most of the time, I let the mobile name itself. As in this case, it usually comes to me as I am making it. Each mobile seems to have its own personality and it's usually pretty easy to find a name that conjures up the feeling that I get from it. Here are a few good examples:

Tokyo

Ten Crows

Ghostly

Sometimes the name of the mobile is a reference to something that inspired it, for example the design of my "Wilco" mobile appeared in my mind, fully formed, as I was listening to a Wilco album.

Wilco

Every now and then I will get stumped. I remember one occasion when I finished a mobile and had no name for it, so I asked my daughter Bridget for help. She came up with a great name..."Quibble"!

Alexander Calder titled most of his sculptures, and I've read that he followed the same method of letting the name reveal itself to him. Most of his titles were descriptive, such as; "Big Red", "One White, Four Blacks", "Thirty-two Disks", "Wooden Bottle with Hairs", "Crinkly", and "The Y". Some appear nonsensical with no apparent meaning (to me at least) such as; "Myxomatose", "Teodelapio", and "Obus". Of course, Calder was known for his playful sense of humor and one can find that in some of his titles as well...some of my favorites are; "The Lace on the Edge of Your Panties", "Funghi Neri", "Little Tinkle", and "Bayonets Menacing a Flower".

I supposed my all-time favorite Calder title would have to be "Sword Plant" - a great name and a perfect description for one of his best stabiles.

Most artists give careful thought to the title they chose for a particular piece. The next time you are admiring a work of art, take a few moments and think about the title. You may find that it sheds new light on the piece and makes you think about it in a completely new way.

Calder Karma

2010-10-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

I went to Chicago this past weekend to see the special exhibit "Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art: Form, Balance, Joy". With over 60 sculptures by Calder on display, plus inspired works by seven contemporary artists, this was a "must see" for me and I wasn't disappointed!

There were so many iconic pieces there; "Big Red", "Finny Fish", "Portrait of the Artist", "Flying Fish", "Little Face", "Performing Seal", among so many others - it was simply amazing to see them with my own eyes, inches away from me, and in motion. It was if one of my Calder books had come to life.

I have to give credit to the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art for putting on such a wonderful show. I especially appreciated the manner in which the mobiles were hung at eye level, which according to the audio tour, was how Calder intended them to be viewed. For me, it was a religious experience to stand face to face with these beautiful sculptures and watch the quiet dignity of their movement, influenced by the air currents created by the wanderings of the museum patrons. It also allowed me to closely inspect the methods that Calder used to construct his mobiles.

I noticed something very important about how Calder worked.

As I moved from piece to piece, I became aware of the differences between Calder's skill and the way I make mobiles. For me, the artistic and creative process primarily lies in the initial concept for a mobile, which I usually develop in a sketch. After that, I switch into "engineer mode" and do my best to create the sculpture as accurately as possible to reflect this idea using the cutting, joining, and painting methods that I have developed over the years. I spend a lot of time making sure that things are "just so" - ensuring that the wires are smoothly bent, connections are uniform, elements are hanging perfectly vertical (or horizontal), and the paint is as nice as it can be. It's time consuming. If necessary, I'll remove and replace a section of the mobile to correct a problem.

Calder, on the other hand, did not let his engineering talents become a hindrance to the creative process at any point. It is clearly obvious that for him, the process of constructing a complex hanging mobile was no different than making a quick pen and ink sketch. There is a free flowing magical quality to the way that he bent the wire, and his willingness to be unencumbered by convention can be seen in a multiplicity of ways; such as by the way he used variations in joining methods from piece to piece (or even within a single piece), how he would sometimes rivet a chunk of metal to a petal to make it heavier when necessary, how he would extend the length of a wire arm by simply splicing another piece onto it with a clever interlocking bend, and how he wasn't afraid to leave a ragged edge here or there.

The spontaneity of the construction method jumps out at you when you see these sculptures up close, and it becomes apparent how it augments the overall impression of an organic spontaneous playfulness of the mobile's movement. I think Calder's genius was the way he was able to put so much action into his sculptures. I can't think of any other sculptor that has been able to do this so well.

Most people are familiar with the concept of "karma", but many incorrectly have the impression that there is "good karma" and "bad karma" - merit badges in some law of cosmic justice that is basically "what goes around, comes around". In fact, karma simply means "action" and though it powers the cycle of cause and effect it has no good or bad qualities within itself. You also may not know that there is a form of yoga known as "karma yoga". Since yoga means "union", the literal translation of karma yoga is "the path of union through action". In other words, it is not "the ends justify the means", but rather "the means are the ends". For an artist, this would be practiced by letting go of one's tendency to be attached to the idea of the finished result and instead be at one with each moment of the creative process.

I think Calder's art clearly shows his impressive and perhaps unequaled ability to achieve this kind of unencumbered creativity - a karmic yoga, in his work - a feat difficult for any artist but especially so I think, for a sculptor. Look closely, and you'll see that every bend, crimp, loop, and petal of a Calder mobile is a unique work of art within itself.

Looking at the beautiful mobiles and stabiles at the MoCA, I couldn't help but think, if you could somehow plant a chunk of steel into the ground and make it grow, it would grow into a Calder.

Moving the Universe?

2010-10-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

Calder's "The Universe" - photo by Jough Dempsey via Flickr

An article in the Chicago Tribune reports that Sears, Roebuck & Co., original owner of the Sears Tower in Chicago, wants to buy back the motorized Alexander Calder sculpture "The Universe", which was commissioned specifically for the tower lobby and has been on display since 1974.

Sears sold the tower in 1994 and it was renamed "Willis Tower" in 2009. The current owner, an investment firm named "223 South Wacker LLC" is disputing Sears' claim that the 1994 terms of sale, which included a "buy-back" agreement that allows Sears to purchase the sculpture at half of its appraised price, is still valid. An attorney for the investment firm has filed a law-suit to block the purchase and reports that Sears intends to remove the sculpture from the tower . Sears has declined to comment on any plans to relocate the sculpture.

I have a feeling that if Sears is successful, they will indeed move "The Universe" out of the tower; inflicting yet another act of vandalism against what is perhaps Chicago's most iconic building. Iconic buildings should not be renamed, and works of art that are site-specific, such as "The Universe", should not be relocated.

I also have a feeling that the people of Chicago, proud of their city's art and architectural heritage, and still angry over the renaming of the tower, are not going to stand by and let this happen without a fight!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-sears-willis-calder-lawsuit-20101004,0,184087.story

Innovators vs. Imitators

2010-09-26T05:09:00.000-07:00

Hanging mobile artists face a fundamental question: will they be creating mobiles that are just essentially derivations of previous work done by Alexander Calder, or will they try to create something unique and strive to push the medium in a new direction?

Once an artist has learned the process and techniques necessary for creating a hanging mobile, it really is a fairly simple matter to reproduce a Calder-style piece by using variations of his distinctive shapes and painting them in solid primary colors. It's easy, it's fun, and clients love it...after all, for most of them, the image of a hanging mobile is defined by the work they have seen by Alexander Calder.

Some of my most popular designs are Calder-style mobiles and stabiles:

"Satori" hanging mobile by Unigami

"Aquilla" hanging mobile by Unigami

"La Mer Digne" hanging mobile by Unigami

If you make a quick search on the Internet you will find many, in fact most, hanging mobile artists are producing mobiles in the Calder tradition.

"Dragonfly" - Timothy Rose

"Birds in my Tree" - Bruce Gray

"Bush Pilot" - Brad Howe

"Modernist" - Julie Frith

"Big Red" - Dave Vande Vusse

"Jet Set" by Debra Ann

Ebay mobile by unknown artist

As you can see, some of these are very creative and beautiful, and others are less successful.

There is a tipping point I think, when when this type of work becomes so derivative that (at best) it may be more accurately described as a "craft" rather than fine art. That is not what I want to do. I strive to create unique designs that capture the spirit of Calder, but yet reflect a particular style that I have been developing over the years. I think that my mobiles "Angler", "Questron", and "Orbit" among others, represent the style that I am trying to acheive; something clean, dynamic, and modern looking. I don't think these look anything like Calder mobiles, but they are close cousins...they are beautiful, they are unique, but they probably are not going to get me a review in American Artist.

"Angler" - hanging mobile by Unigami

"Questron" hanging mobile by Unigami

"Orbit" hanging mobile by Unigami

A few artists have succesfully advanced this form of kinetic sculpture in bold new directions, most notably George Rickey, who began making mobiles very similar to the work of Alexander Calder but eventually branched off into large outdoor geometric inspired sculptures:

"Three Squares Gyratory" - George Rickey

Tim Prentice is one of my favorite artists. He notes in his artist's statement that he intends to "concentrate on the movement of the piece rather than the object". He has devised some interesting methods to create walls and ribbons of elements that undulate in the breeze. I really love his "Zinger" mobile:

"Zinger" by Tim Prentice (photo by Bonnie Cothran)

Ned Kahn is GOD. You really have to visit his website and watch the videos to really appreacite how amazing his work is. Using the power of physical science, he has created kinetic sculptures that explore the effects of movement in wind, water, sand, fog, fire, and light.

"Wind Portal" - Ned Kahn

These are just a few examples of some amazing work by some amazing artists. I am always inspired and excited when I discover someone working in a new direction. Leave a comment below and let me know who you like!

"La Grande Vitesse" photo by rdmegr

2010-09-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

I found some wonderful photos of Alexander Calder's "La Grande Vitesse" on rdmegr's Flickrstream. This one is my favorite, in fact it's one of my all time favorite photos of a Calder sculpture:

Visit rdmegr's Calder flickrstream here to see more photos, and be sure to check out more of his wonderful photographs which include art around Grand Rapids, and the Artprize competition:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rdmegr/sets/72157624770435286/

Hans Kooi

2010-09-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

Hans Kooi is a Dutch artist who creates kinetic sculptures using wood, stone and magnetism. I really love the minimalist, zen-like, quality of his sculptures.

Hans Kooi Art

Animated Typefaces - coming soon to your computer?

2010-08-26T04:46:00.000-07:00

"It’s what you’d get if Alexander Calder were a typographically minded computer nerd"

courtesy of Co. Design

Opening: A great Calder exhibit at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art

2010-06-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

This looks like a fabulous exhibit of many, MANY Calder pieces and other interesting works!

At the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art between June 26th and October 17th, 2010.

I think I'll be taking a road trip to see this one!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-klein/calder-and-the-kids_b_622388.html?ir=Arts

Perihelion - Hanging Mobile

2010-05-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

"Perihelion" - original hanging mobile by Unigami

22 inches tall x 38 inches wide

Sheet Metal and stainless steel

visit www.the-mobile-factory.com for more information about my hanging mobiles and stabiles.

Automata by Gina Kamentsky

2010-05-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

The tradition of building automata to demonstrate scientific principals dates back as far a Hero's contraptions in ancient Greece. Automata has also been used in conjunction with religious icons, as well as for performing practical work, and simply for fun as toys and novelties.

Many artists have experimented with Automata and Kinetic Sculpture. The best are able to integrate knowledge of basic engineering mechanisms with a keen sense of playfulness and whimsical design to create novel contraptions that are a delight to watch.

Gina Kamenstky's works are among the best that I have seen. Check out her website for an amazing array of devices and be sure to watch the videos!

Gina Kamentsky's Mechanical Confections

Calder's BMW art car

2010-04-29T07:02:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of Calder, in a typical pose, with the custom BMW that he painted for his friend Herve Poulain. It was the first of its kind, and started a tradition of custom BMW's painted by artists such as Warhol, Stella, Lichtenstein, Hockney, and continues to this day with the most recent version by artist Jeff Koons.

http://www.cartype.com/pages/345/bmw_art_cars

Photographer Milton Gendel's best shot

2010-04-15T04:35:00.000-07:00

He drew a picture of me on my shoes' … Alexander Calder's portrait on Milton Gendel's soles

From The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/apr/14/photography-milton-gendel-best-shot

In 1968, my old friend from the US art scene, Alexander Calder, visited me in Rome. I had gone there in the 1950s, when my flat in New York was torn down and my first wife left me.

As an artist, Calder was first-rate, which the world has recognised. But he was also great company: witty and playful, with a brilliant mind. One evening, we went out for dinner. I had been whitewashing my studio and had walked in the paint. When I crossed my legs, Calder took out a pencil, on impulse, and drew my portrait on one of the splattered soles, and my profile on the other. He signed each: "AC".

At the end of the meal, as we walked into the street, I decided to take them off. Calder, who was built like a bear, came after me shouting: "Put your shoes back on – it's the winter, you'll catch a cold. I'll give you another drawing!" But I didn't have far to go. I got the shoes framed eventually. They now sit on my piano and are among my most treasured possessions.

The photograph was taken decades later. It was used as the cover of a catalogue for a show I gave in the museum of Spoleto in 2006. They suggested the shoes be used for the cover, but I wanted to make the image more personal, so I photographed myself reflected in the frame's glass. As you can see, it looks as if I am behind the shoes, falling feet-first. It was a piece of luck, like so much in photography.

I would describe it as a triple mug shot, and one of the most evocative photos I have taken, capturing place, person and situation. It is biographical, too: it shows me holding a camera, with the results of what I can do with a camera. As I was taking it, I was wondering if it would work. I took it in digital, looked at it, realised it was right, and kept it.

Did Alexander Calder Have a Mobile Home?

2010-04-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a cute folk song by David Damrose, lyrics are below, or you can listen to it here:

http://www.americansongspace.com/songprofile/Did-Alexander-Calder-Have-a-Mobile-Home-_-David-Damroze/MjI2MjM~

You can also download it for free here:
http://macjams.com/song/59993

Did Alexander Calder Have a Mobile Home ?

Once when I was in the city
The concierge in the Hotel told me
That on Thursday Nights the Art Museum was free.

So I Pulled on my boots and put on my hat
Had the fellow call me a Taxi
and went down there to see what I could see.

Metal and wires hanging from the ceiling
Various shapes spinning and reeling
And a woman in a Suit explaining what it meant.

When it came time for the Q&A;Session
she asked if there were any questions
I raised my hand and said something like this :

Did Alexander Calder have a mobile home
Was he mentally stabile, did he like to roam
Was he anti-social, did he hang around ?

Could he keep a steady job or was he fired
Was he kind of mellow, was he really wired
Did Alexander Calder have a mobile Home ?

Well, all those city folks gave me a look
Like I never even thought of reading a book
Especially some bald guy wearing a turtleneck Sweater

He walked right up, got in my face
I said to him" Now looky here Ace,
You'll back off if you know what's good for you ".

Near a pointillist painting he poked me in the eye
I never even bothered to ask him why
After that unfriendly Gesture the fight was on.

We tumbled into a Pablo Picasso
His nose on my ear my eye on his elbow
He bounced off a Sunflower and bit off a piece of my ear

We rolled into the surrealism gallery
Fishy lightbulb mustache lingerie
About that time the police had arrived

Did Alexander Calder Have a mobile home
Was he mentally Stabile did he like to roam
Was he anti-social, Did he hang around ?

Could he keep a steady job or was he fired
Was he kind of mellow, was he really wired.
Did Alexander Calder Have a Mobile Home?

Well if you're ever in the city
and visit the museum on a Thursday
It's best to keep your opinions to yourself

Those Art Types take themselves seriously
If you speak you'll probably wind up like me
And spend your weekend sitting in a cell

Did Alexander Calder have a mobile home
Was he mentally stabile, did he like to roam
Was he anti-social, Did he hang around ?

Could he keep a steady job or was he fired
Was he kind of mellow, was he really wired
Did Alexander Calder Have
a mobile home ?


Words/music Copyright 2010 David Damroze (ASCAP)

The Calder Game

2010-03-30T05:22:00.000-07:00

Blue Balliett and Brett Helquist have written a series of children's books that offer up an engaging dose of art history cleverly wrapped up in a mystery / adventure story of three 7th grade sleuths; Calder, Petra, and Tommy.

The first two books were about Vermeer "Chasing Vermeer (2004)" and Frank Lloyd Wright The Wright 3 (2006). The third installment entitled "The Calder Game" focuses on Alexander Calder.

I think we could have seen that one coming.

The gist of this story is that the three friends visit a Calder exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago (I think I may have seen them there), and then later Calder (the boy, not the artist) and his father travel to a remote area in England that happens to have an anonymously donated Calder stabile on display - The Minotaur.

The mystery begins when both boy and sculpture dissapear on the same night.

I think this is a wonderful way to expose young readers to art. The reviews on Amazon are generally pretty good for these books as they are known for captivating writing, interesting puzzles (there is a puzzle in this book that is based on the elements of a mobile!), and good characterization. I did see a few complaints about the plot line on this one though....

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll read The Calder Game because I can pretty much guess the ending and the solution to the mystery of the missing boy and sculpture.

My bet is that a secret agent from the Calder Foundation snatches them both up and ships them off to New York City where they are hidden deep under West 25th Street in a dark, dank, storage room, never to be seen again.

The Calder Game

How I found Alexander Calder's Roxbury Home

2009-10-31T22:59:00.000-07:00

I've always been fascinated about Alexander Calder's home and studio in Roxbury Connecticut.

It's been a curiosity largely fueled by books such as "Calder's Universe", "Calder in Connecticut" and "Calder at Home" that show amazing photographs of the huge studio cluttered with wire, sheet metal, tools, and hundreds of mobiles and stabiles in various stages of completion; not to mention the collection of sculptures scattered across the property, and the old farmhouse (which Calder renovated and painted flat black) decorated with cozy hooked rugs made by Louisa and a plethora of Calder's art and handiwork in every nook and cranny.

I'd love to see it.

Unfortunately, although the property is still owned by the Calder Family, it is not open to the public, and I can only speculate about what is left there and what kind of condition it is in. But I'd be happy to just drive by it, if I ever had the chance.

Well I had that chance last year when my wife and I drove from our home in northeast Ohio to Old Saybrook, Connecticut to visit relatives. Our route led east on interstate 84, where we would be passing about 10 miles south of Roxbury. Perhaps we could make a quick detour and see if we could spot the old place!

The only problem was that I had no idea where it was. ..none of my Calder books listed an address or even a street name. I called the Roxbury Chamber of Commerce to inquire, and the person I spoke to confirmed that the house was privately owned and not available for a tour. She wasn't sure exactly where it was located. I even sent a couple emails to a few places , but received no response. So I gave up on the idea. Maybe someday I would have another chance and would know where to find the house. Better yet, maybe the Calder Foundation would turn it into a museum. I must admit that I felt a bit sad as we drove past that exit on I-84.

I pretty much forgot about trying to find the house until I spotted this item on the internet today.

It's a map to the house. I'm pretty sure it's accurate... it was drawn by Calder himself!

Using this drawing as my guide, I went to Google Maps and found the area where Painter Hill Road intersects with Rt. 47.

Calder noted that the house was about 1.5 miles west of the intersection. I measured this off and put a red dot at the approximate location. You can see that the bend in the road wasn't quite as sharp as Calder drew it.

Then I noticed that the "Street View" feature on Google Maps was available for Painter Hill Rd.

That was really fortunate. "Street View" allows you to see 360 degree panoramic views taken from street level - essentially the same thing you would see if you were driving down the road. If I was lucky, the house might be visible from the street!

I went back to my books and found this great picture of the Roxbury House in "Calder's Universe". All I had to do was turn on the Street View in Google Maps and make my way down Painter Hill Road until I found it.

Here it is!

Here's a closer look. The hedge is a bit overgrown, but I'm so glad to see that it looks the same as it did when Calder lived there.

Here's a view to the left of the house. Notice the three windows on the large building.

Compare them to the room in the photo below. It's the old studio! I wonder what is inside of it now?

Google Street View has low resolution pictures. I wish I could read these signs...

Here's a view to the right of the house. You can see a black stabile there.

Going further to the west, you can clearly see Calder's "Southern Cross" .

Hey, the gate is open - let's go check it out!

I guess it might seem a bit silly, but I really enjoyed discovering this on Google Maps.
It's the next best thing to actually being there. I don't know if I'll ever get the chance again, but if I do, this time I will know exactly where to find it.

If you'd like to check this out for yourself, go to Google Maps and search for:
"306 Painter Hill Road Roxbury Connecticut"

Find the yellow man icon by the zoom bar and drag him over to the highway next to the "A" balloon. Then click on the arrow buttons to move down the road and control your viewpoint.

Have fun exploring, but please keep in mind if you actually visit the area, this is a PRIVATE RESIDENCE. Be respectful of the privacy of it's occupants, and do not under any circumstances enter the property.

This is a stick up...hand over your Warhol!

2009-10-23T06:15:00.000-07:00

The LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) has an impressive web site that contains many useful and informative features such as a blog, crime maps, community information, special bulletins, and crime reporting tools.

It also features something that is rather unique: a sub-section that is devoted to their “Art Theft Detail”; a unit of two detectives that are responsible for the investigation of all thefts and burglaries where Fine Art is the primary object of attack. The detail also investigates fakes, frauds, and forgeries involving art. It is the only full-time municipal law enforcement unit in the United States devoted to the investigation of art crimes.

The website boasts that the detail has recovered $77,563,992 in stolen art properties since 1993.

Here you will find crime alerts, a list of all current investigations, tips on fakes that are in circulation, and summaries of some really fascinating cases that are well worth reading. I really enjoyed “It’s a Sad Day, Charlie Brown”, a gripping tale of stolen animation art.

The list of stolen items includes ancient artifacts, fine art, collectibles, and even movie props! Virtually every major artist is represented.

I noticed this posting for a stolen Alexander Calder stabile, “Little Roxbury”:

Also this piece by Brad Howe, one of my favorite artists:

How does someone sneak off with a 96 inch tall sculpture mounted on a stainless steel pedestal?

I'll admit that I looked, but I didn’t see any of my mobiles listed there. I guess that you know you’ve made it as an artist when one of your works is listed on the LAPD’s Art Theft Detail. It's probably more likely that I'll be listed as a suspect on one of their crime bulletins someday...

It would be really cool if somehow all of these items could be recovered and then displayed together in a special museum collection!

link to: LAPD Art Theft Detail

I wonder what Sgt. Joe Friday would have thought about all this? Somehow, I don't think he would have been much of a Warhol fan...

David Carter - pop-up artist

2009-10-02T07:09:00.001-07:00

Photo by Manny Crisostomo - The Sacramento Bee

Here's an interesting article that appeared in The Sacramento Bee about the Pop-Up book artist David Carter, probably most famous for his book "The 12 Bugs of Christmas".

I refer to him as an artist, because having watched the video (be sure to also look him up on YouTube) of his latest creations, it is evident that he is taking Pop-Up books into the realm of abstract art.

He describes being influenced by Alexander Calder in the interview.

(link)

Paper-engineering master David A. Carter's 'Red Dot' series doesn't do the usual -- illustrate a story. It stands on its own.

Calder's Jewelry

2009-08-05T04:41:00.001-07:00

Here's a nice article on NPR from 2008 about Alexander Calder's jewelry.

Alexander Calder's Jewelry Get's It's Due, Finally

Happy Birthday, Sandy!

2009-07-22T04:22:00.000-07:00

Today is the anniversary of Alexander Calder's birthday;

he was born on July 22nd, 1898.

Why not celebrate by baking a cake?

I'll bet you could find a good recipe in The Joy of Cooking.

And if you look closely, you might notice a little anecdote about my favorite artist!

A visit to the Cleveland Museum of Art

2009-07-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

We took a trip into Cleveland yesterday to visit the Cleveland Museum of Art. The museum has been undergoing a major renovation and expansion since 2001 and has been essentially CLOSED for years. It's been a bit like having a good friend locked up in jail. But as the expected completion date of 2012 draws near several areas and wings that have been completed have been reopened to the public.

The new East Wing, which holds the museum's outstanding collection of modern and contemporary art and photography, recently opened on Father's Day and I was excited to visit it because it is my favorite section of the museum, and I expected that the Calder mobile that was acquired just before the construction began (which I had never seen) would be on display.

I was not disappointed. Most of my old favorites were there, and there were some wonderful surprises as well; some great pieces by Claus Oldenburg, Andy Warhol, and Lee Krasner that I had never seen before, as well as TWO pieces by Alexander Calder: a medium-size mobile entitled "Two Systems" and a fine stabile named "White Loops and Red Spiral on Black". Neither one of them was showing any movement at all. I tried to lean close and blow on the stabile to get it moving but I set off some type of laser alarm that started beeping until I stepped back. In fact, various beeping alarms were going off in that gallery for the entire time that we were inside it, and it was a bit annoying.

The mobile was fairly complicated.

I really loved the base of the stabile.

My wife mentioned something that had struck me before about many of the Calder pieces that I have seen in museums - the paint looks horrible. On the stabile, the "white loops" had taken on an ugly yellowish cast as if they had suffered the abuse of a heavy cigar smoker for many years. And I noticed that in some spots the workmanship was a bit shoddy, especially on the mobile, I saw some sloppy painting and crude metal work. Calder was a prodigious artist and I think that he worked very fast, especially on pieces that he may have considered minor.

Even so, there is still something wonderful and amazing about his work, even when it shows some wear and tear and isn't the best that he has done. I could make an exact copy of that mobile and make the paint job absolutely perfect, and it still wouldn't look as great as the motionless Calder ones that were in the museum. That is a lesson that I have to remember - craftsmanship is important, but it is not paramount.

Another highlight of the trip was seeing the famous George Bellows boxing painting "Stag at Sharkey’s". This is a painting that we always admire every time that we visit, but we were excited to see it again because my daughter Bridget wrote a class report on Bellows this year and we learned a lot about him and this painting. The true name is "Stag Night at Sharkey’s" (i.e, men only). It is an amazing action painting.

One disappointment was the new cafe, which I hope is just a transitional thing during the construction. It's the first thing you see as you enter the museum (ugh), and it has absolutely no character and crappy food. I missed the old cafeteria that used to overlook the courtyard filled with sculptures by Snelson and Moore, the great coffee, heavy china, and tasty sandwiches.

Make a survival whistle from a soda can

2009-06-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

I love making things out of sheet metal, so when I found this video on YouTube demonstrating how to make a survival whistle out of a soda can I had to give it a try. I was surprised at how easy and how well it worked! It's a very simple and clever design, and once you've made one I'm pretty sure that you will remember how to do it forever.

A great way to impress your friends, or call for help if you ever get lost in the woods!

Typographic Mobiles by Ebon Heath

2009-06-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

I really love these hanging mobiles by Ebon Heath, which range from hand-cut Tyvek or bristol to laser-cut acrylic. He refers to this as his "stereo.type" project and his intent is to liberate Type from the confines of a flat page and give it physicality: life, movement, and form.

I'm very impressed with the creativity and beauty of Ebon's work.

You can find more information about him here:

http://www.yatzer.com/1690_ebon_heath_and_his_visual_poetry

and here:

http://listeningwithmyeyes.com/index.html

CALDER, SCULPTEUR DE L'AIR

2009-05-28T12:06:00.001-07:00

There is a new documentry out about the life of Alexander Calder. It has been produced and directed by the French film maker François Lévy-Kuentz. The film is entitled: "CALDER, SCULPTEUR DE L'AIR"

The film features interviews, archival film clips and footage of Calder's sculptures to highlight the innovative nature of his work and includes a lot of historical film material to visualise the cultural and social background of his era.

The film has been dubbed with English narration and the US premire of the film was held at the Whitney Museum on February 26th, 2009.

It appears that this film may contain some new footage and interviews that would be of interest to Calder fans. Hopefully the film will become available on DVD at some point as there are only a few video documentaries of Calder's work that are currently available.

George Rickey Video

2009-05-27T05:29:00.000-07:00

The following video was produced by Public Art Indy and the Arts Council of Indianapolis for the George Rickey exhibit that is running through September 7th. For more information check out the Public Art Indy site:

http://www.paindy.org/rickey/index.html

SFMOMA debuts new rooftop sculpture garden

2009-05-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is debuting a new rooftop sculpture garden - a great idea!

It opens tomorrow. It features a great stabile by Alexander Calder, "Big Crinkly". '

George Rickey

2009-05-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

If I sat down to make a short-list of Kinetic Sculptors, the second name on that list would be George Rickey.

Like Alexander Calder, Rickey had some training in engineering, and the large-scale outdoor sculptures that made him famous clearly reflect an engineered geometrical approach in their design - such as the swinging blades and rotating cubes that moved effortlessly and unexpectedly on the gimbals he created.

Rickey brought a minimalist approach to kinetic sculpture. His work was more subtle and serious looking than Calder's. While Calder's outdoor mobiles seemed to be adaptations of indoor designs that were scaled up and strengthened for outdoor display, Rickey's work was conceived at the outset to be harmonious with the wind and elements that would move, illuminate, and weather them.

This is not to say that Rickey was merely an outdoor sculptor. In fact, I'm a big fan of his earlier works such as his “carousel” series which were exquisitely delicate, colorful, and playful.

I encourage you to find a copy of "George Rickey - The Early Works", where you can see more of these amazing pieces and trace Rickey's development through the many photos that show his growth as an artist, moving from his earliest Calder-like mobiles on up to his later designs.

Also recommended is a visit to Indianapolis this summer to see a special exhibit of Rickey's works from his estate in East Chatham, New York. You can find out more about this exhibit and read an interview with Phillip Rickey, George's son, also a fine sculptor here:

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090503/ENTERTAINMENT/905030302/1005/ENTERTAINMENT

McCormick Center

2009-04-30T04:59:00.000-07:00

Hanging sculpure at McCormick Place in Chicago

McCormick Place is a huge facility, and if you happen to visit it for a convention or trade show I'd encourage you to do some exploring. There are many wonderful sculptures hidden away from the exhibit halls in areas where visitors do not typically wander, such as this piece, tucked away on level 4 or 5 of the South Building. I searched for a placard, but could not find any information about this piece or the artist that created it.

McCormick Place also has works by Tim Prentice, Dale Chihuly, and James Surls

Captcha is created by space aliens

2009-04-27T19:47:00.000-07:00

These things are really starting to annoy me!!!

The Evolution and De-evolution of a mobile

2009-04-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

Mobiles are one of the most dynamic and interesting forms of sculpture because they are always in motion. Because of this, the arrangement of pieces is ever-changing and the appearance of any particular mobile can change dramatically from moment to moment.

Sometimes, even the design of a particular piece can seem to have a life of its own, evolving over a period of days or even years, especially when the mobile has been commissioned by a client. Here's a good example.

Several years ago a client contacted me. He wanted a very large hanging mobile for his beautiful modern home that was under construction in eastern Pennsylvania. He was a big Alexander Calder fan, and wanted a replica of the mobile that hangings in the National Gallery in Washington. He wanted it to be about 12 feet wide.

A BIG one!

I explained that I didn't make copies of Calder's work, but that I was interested in the project and felt that I could come up with a design that he would like. I quoted some prices and he told me that he would contact me at the proper time when the room was nearing completion.

I didn't hear back from him for nearly a year, and had somewhat dismissed the project as unlikely to move forward, but one day he called me and said that he was ready to start reviewing designs.

I presented this idea among several, which was similar to the Calder mobile that he liked in that it has two sections; one with vertical pieces and one with horizontal pieces. There is a view on the sketch that shows the horizontal pieces as seen from above. As you can see, the elements are pretty similar to Calder's typical triangle and boomerang shapes. I really liked this design and was hoping he would pick it.

But he chose this design instead. He didn't want any horizontal pieces.

His next request was to make the elements "more like Calder shapes", so I sent back this idea.

He really liked that design, (I didn't care for it so much).

The next step was to figure out a color arrangement. He liked this one:

The size was critical. He sent architectural drawings to me and wanted the mobile to fill the room as much as possible. I felt that 11 feet wide would be a good target to aim for. If the mobile turned out to be larger than 12 feet, it would run into a wall. On a new design, it can be tricky to estimate sizes. A lot of it depends on where the hanging points are located, and how all the spaces and shapes relate to each other.

He sent a down payment, and I started working on the mobile.

I was really pleased when I finished and measured the mobile. I found that it had an 11 ft swing diameter - exactly like I wanted. Here's a photo that I sent comparing the unpainted mobile to the sketch.

The next step was to paint the mobile, pack it up, and (in this case), drive about 8 hours to deliver the mobile to his home. I really enjoyed seeing his home, it was built on top of a mountain and had many unique design features - he also had a lot of Calder lithographs.

Here's a photo that I took after I installed the mobile.

It looked wonderful. Everyone was happy.

Project closed? Not quite.

A few months ago, I was flipping thru my sketch books and noticed the sketch of first design - the one that I had hoped that he would pick. I still wanted to make that mobile!

Since I had some free time, I decided I would do it. It would be much smaller of course - something that you could hang up in a room with standard ceilings. And I wanted to change the colors to the palette that I've been using lately - verdigris, khaki, red, black, and maybe a blue piece.

Here's how it came out - I really liked it!

I decided to name it "Satori"

I posted it up in the gallery on The Mobile Factory and quickly found a buyer.

Project closed? Not yet!!!

About a month later, a client emailed me - she really liked "Satori" but wondered if I could make it in primary colors, like a Calder mobile. Red, Black, Yellow, Blue.

Sure, I can do that!

So here is the most recent version, which I suspect is a miniature of what the large 11 foot mobile would have looked like if he had chosed my first design.

So...after all of that, I guess this one has come full circle.

Unless there is yet more to come!

Philadelphia loses its Calders.

2009-04-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

Calder 'Jerusalem Stabile' formerly at the "Calder Garden"

- courtesy hanneorla's flickrstream

Sure…his home and studio were in Roxbury Connecticut, Chicago has “The Flamingo” and the mechanical contraption in the Sears Tower (or whatever it is called now), Grand Rapids loves its “La Grande Vitesse” so much that they’ve adopted it as the official icon of the city, Washington D.C. has the beautiful and remarkable mobile in the National Gallery, New York has a fabulous collection of who knows how many mobiles and stabiles at the Whitney, but Philadelphia, perhaps more than any other city, has been most often associated with Alexander Calder and one of the best places to view his art.

“I was born in Lawnton” Calder said in his autobiography, “but it has been swallowed up by Philadelphia”. One of his first memories was living in a small Philadelphia apartment next to a railroad yard and being fascinated by the field of tracks, passenger trains, and freight cars. Born into a family of working artists, Calder also recalled posing in his father’s Philadelphia studio located on the second floor of an old livery stable for a statue that was to become known as “The Man Cub”.

Calder had no interest in becoming an artist. He was more fascinated by machines and loved tinkering and inventing things in the little workshops that he cobbled up in the corner of his father’s studio. I think he would have been quite surprised back then if someone were to tell him that one day it would be possible for a visitor to stand in one particular spot on Philadelphia’s Ben Franklin Parkway, not too far away from his boyhood home, and observe a time-line of sculptures from three generations of Calder artists; from Calder’s very-own “Ghost” mobile hanging outside the great stair hall at the Philadelphia Museum of Arts, to his father Alexander Stirling Calder’s “Swann Memorial Fountain” at Logan Square, to the historical sculptures at City Hall created by his grandfather Alexander Milne Calder.

A few years ago, the Ben Franklin Parkway boasted not one, not two, not three, but ELEVEN Calder sculptures, located in a two-acre plot known as “The Calder Garden”. Opening announcements made in 2001 by the Philadelphia Museum of Art said that there would be a rotating display of 10 to 15 pieces over a 13 year period. Funding for this display was provided by the Philadelphia-based Pew Charitable Trusts and the sculptures were provided on loan by The Calder Foundation.

Philadelphia, obviously proud of it’s Calder legacy, had even bigger plans for the Garden, a huge museum solely devoted to the work of Calder; a collection of mobiles, stabiles, jewelry, paintings, and contraptions unlike anything in the world. Sadly, despite many attempts over many years of failed negotiations to come to terms with requirements from the Calder Foundation (based in New York) and patrons who were asked to donate works on loan to the museum, the plans were scrapped and it is generally agreed that a museum will never be built.

And now, the Calder Garden is gone and it’s too late to do anything about it.

Without any prior announcement or explanation - practically under cover of darkness, sculptures were quickly dismantled, packed up, and hauled away this month. Within a few days the whimsical Calder Garden became nothing more than a grassy plot of land where you could walk your dog or toss an empty water bottle.

One sculpture does remain, relocated to an area nearby. It was the only one owned by the city of Philadelphia and not the Calder Foundation.

Spokespeople for the Philadelphia Art Museum and the Pew Charitable Trust had little to say about the removal, calling the 12 year term a “ballpark figure” and explaining that the funding for the event had simply expired.

I have not seen any comments from the Calder Foundation.

You really have to see a Calder sculpture in person to experience it. Obviously, a static photograph of a mobile can not provide you with the sense of life and playfulness that these sculptures radiate, and a photograph of a monolithic sculpture like the Flamingo in Chicago pales in comparison to the experience you feel when you are able to stand underneath a sculpture this size. I had hoped to visit the Calder Garden some day.

The loss of the museum and now the Calder Garden is not only a loss to the city of Philadelphia, it is also a loss to the legacy of Alexander Calder; a man whom is arguably America’s most prolific, inventive, and greatest sculptor. And it is a huge loss to fans and would-be fans of his work. It is disappointing that the Calder Foundation did not take a proactive role in finding a way to keep the Calder Garden alive and to find a way to bring the Calder Museum to fruition.

Roswell - hanging mobile

2009-04-08T02:43:00.001-07:00

"Roswell" - an original hanging mobile design by Unigami

26 inches tall x 24 inches wide

Usually, a design idea comes first but sometimes a name

will inspire me to create something.

I was watching a program about the Roswell UFO incident

and decided it would be a great idea for a cute little mod

hanging mobile.

The gold sphere with antennas is Sputnik, the first object

sent into orbit by the Russians - ten years after Roswell.

visit www.the-mobile-factory.com for more information about my hanging mobiles and stabiles and also be sure to check out my Esty Shop www.unigami.etsy.com

Poppy - hanging mobile

2009-04-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

"Poppy" - original hanging mobile by Unigami

32 inches tall x 31 inches wide

Sheet Metal and stainless steel

visit www.the-mobile-factory.com for more information about my hanging mobiles and stabiles.

Misaki - hanging mobile

2009-04-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

Misaki - hanging mobile by Unigami

28 inches tall x 24 inches wide

Polypropylene and stainless steel

visit www.the-mobile-factory.com for more information about my hanging mobiles and stabiles.