"Therefore, why not plastic forms in motion? Not a simple translatory or rotary motion but several motions of different types, speeds and amplitudes composing to make a resultant whole. Just as one can compose colors, or forms, so one can compose motions."
Alexander Calder is an American artist known for his suspended sculptures that come to life in response to external forces. It was Marcel Duchamp who, in 1932, found the perfect term to designate the suspended sculptures of Alexander Calder: mobiles. These abstract kinetic sculptures introduce a new phenomenon which is such that the works completely redefine the question of movement. The mobile is unique in that it is a composition of equilibrium, though equilibrium suggests immobility. Movement, as Calder understands it, is not the pursuit of dynamism, of a paroxysm of speed, as it is for the Futurists. It is, on the contrary, the search for a return to equilibrium. Calder's works range from wire sculptures to mobiles, stabiles, monumental sculptures, paintings, and drawings to lesser-known pieces such as jewelry, furniture, bronze sculptures, and household objects. Through an artistic expression resulting from his inventive genius that integrates time, space, and the present moment, Calder has succeeded in breaking down the barriers between established genres. He thus emerges a true precursor to the many interdisciplinary projects that have emerged throughout the twentieth century.