mary jane dodd
alexander calder - stabile
yesterday and today are about inspiration -
susan lenart kazmer's book not only inspires, but teaches.
today i wanted to share a side of one of the great masters of art that some of you may not have known about. many of you may recognize alexander calder for his sculpture - huge mobiles and stabiles that are perfectly balanced... often massive metal works that float seemingly effortlessly in the air, set in motion by only a slight breeze.
this amazing man also made jewelry - and with his very large tools i might add.
i took some pictures from another of my favorite books, calder jewelry, to show you how he used cold connections in his work.
alexander calder
rivets
alexander calder
wire loops
alexander calder
tabs
alexander calder
paddle ended wire
cold connections aren't what you use because you don't know how to solder. this method isn't 'less' to soldering, it's just different.
it's a choice.
a choice that adds much to the overall design, a choice that will challenge you to be certain that your technical and aesthetic considerations have been thought out well.
do you want these connections to take center stage? because they certainly can
or do you want them to be what they are? a way of connecting, providing structure, movement and a subtle design influence.
i am really excited about this challenge.
like most of you, i have to allow things to percolate for a bit before sitting down to make. whenever i would submit to art bead scene's monthly challenge i inevitably would get my entry in on the last day. simply because ideas had to move around in my brain, get filtered and distilled.
mjd - 2010 calder challenge
enjoy your weekend - here in the midatlantic, foliage is peaking.
life is good, yes?
4 comments:
Thanks so much for a wonderful post on one of my most favorite artists :)
I have to say I am pretty envious of your owning the Calder Jewelry book. I covet that book!
xoxo J
I have been noticing a lot of Calder in the last couple of years (just in that personal way that a person tends to notice things a bit more...).
I love that moveable way that things connect, and am delighted in the variations of ways to "cold connect" as I am not too much of an open flame person (purely due to lack of focus - I just don't trust myself at this stage of life and kids running around). :)
PS - That Calder Inspired piece of yours MJ is freaking awesome!!!
Calder- what inspiration!!!!!
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