Alexander Calder
6th grade mobile/stabile
Alexander Calder’s life as an artist
• Alexander Calder was born into a family of
artists. His grandfather created all of the
sculptures for City Hall in Philadelphia, Pa.
• His father was a sculptor who worked on
many of the fountains in the city of
Philadelphia, Pa.
• Alexander went to college for engineering
but changed his mind to study art.
Young Calder in his studio
Calder’s early work
• Alexander Calder
started out as a wire
sculptor.
• He studied people
and animals from the
circus.
• He created portraits in
wire.
Calder’s paintings
• Alexander Calder
used the primary
colors
Calder’s paintings
• Alexander Calder
used organic shapes
in his paintings
Calder’s paintings
• Alexander Calder
used geometric
shapes in his
paintings
Calder’s other paintings
• Alexander Calder
painted a BMW and a
747 airplane
• He also painted the
sides and outdoor
ceilings of buildings
Calder’s stabile sculptures
Alexander Calder
created stabile
sculptures. Stabile
sculptures are rigid;
parts do not move.
• What colors did he
use?
• What shapes can you
identify?
• Are the shapes organic
or geometric?
Calder’s Mobile/Stabile Sculptures
• Alexander Calder
created mobile/stabile
sculptures (parts stay
still and parts move).
• What colors did he
use?
• What shapes can you
identify?
• Are the shapes
organic or geometric?
Calder’s Mobile/Stabile Sculptures
Calder’s Mobile/Stabile Sculptures
Calder working on a Mobile
Calder’s Mobiles
• Alexander Calder
invented the mobile.
Marcel Duchamp
named it.
• Calder used the
colors and shapes
from his wire
sculptures to create
moving sculptures mobiles
Calder’s Mobiles
Calder’s Mobile inside the East
Wing of the National
Gallery
Mobile/Stabile outdoor sculpture in
Washington, DC
Student work