Alexander Calder

Alexander Calder was born on July 22, 1898 in Lawton Pennsylvania. Calder was raised by his mother, Nanette, and his father, Alexander. Both of his parents were artist, as well as his grandfather. Growing up, Calder was not interested in pursuing the “family business” of sculpture and various forms of art. As a young boy, he enjoyed tinkering with toys and creating which inspired him to pursue engineering. As he grew older, his family has relocated several times so his father could earn money and find some jobs as a teacher. At the age of 17, a young Alexander enrolled in the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey and earned a degree in mechanical engineering. At the age of 24, while abroad a ship in Central America, he experienced both the rising sun and the setting moon which opened him young mind to how the universe works which later inspired his focus on balance and movement. Only one year later, he decided to study art at the Art Students League in New York City. Proving his true artistic abilities, Calder published a book Animal Sketching,
“I suggested to Mondrian that perhaps it would be fun to makes these rectangles oscillate…This one visit gave me a shock that started it all.” (Calder: An Autobiography with Pictures). Two years following his visit, in 1932, Alexander Calder created his first experiment with mechanical motion Small Sphere and Heavy Sphere. This work was composed of arbitrary items that could be struck to create various sounds, by two spheres suspended from the ceiling. While residing in France and making a himself known there, he was making many trips back the U.S as well as other European countries. Nearing the 1940’s, he became very well known in various parts of the world for his unique contributions as well as being one of the most experimental sculptors during that time