Calder's Contortions

Undulating, twisting and floating, Calder’s mobiles create perfect symmetry from imperfect objects. Odds and ends of metal painted in blaringly bright primary colors produce this mesmerizing mixture of media. Tangibly dense yet seemingly weightless, Calder’s mobiles gracefully orbit.

Revolutionizing modern sculpture in the 20^th century, Calder introduced surrealism into the tradition of modern American art. Celebrating his contribution to the trajectory of abstract sculpture and media, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem organized an exhibition centered solely around his work. With loans from the Calder Foundation of New York and LACMA, the exhibition showcased 40 of the artist’s mobiles and stabiles as well as prototypes for his monumental outdoor sculptural endeavors. After profiting from the comparison toArthur Ganson’s mechanical sculptures at MIT a few weeks back, I found it fit to expound upon Calder’s past and contemporary artistic clout in this issue.

Unintentionally, I stumbled into the Calder exhibition on my last trip to PEM. Well-lit and spaciously laid out, the exhibition space provided a comfortable amount of room to examine the works up-close as well as to step back, gaining perspective from a distance. The exhibition’s design allowed freedom to walk around each piece to observe the totality of their movement. Examining the opening piece, I immediately noticed the mathematical precision that undergirds Calder’s works. While structurally impressive, Calder’s mobiles are famous because of their unique ability to meld his mathematical and creative geniuses. They are both beautifully balanced and aesthetically pleasing. Large hanging pieces of dense sheet metal are sublimely juxtaposed with small circular disks, creating a balance between weight and weightlessness.

In particular, I was drawn to a mobile that resembles a snow flurry. Unlike many of Calder’s colorful pieces, it is painted off-white; this mobile shows the domino effect that Calder employed in the creation of his works. Each latch set off the following until the hinge reached its maximum rotation, reversing the direction of the circles and spawning a counter undulation. The unceasing motion of the mobiles was entrancing and the manner in which they were presented highlighted the gravity of Calder’s artistic innovation.

The opportunity to view this impressive number of Calder’s works in Boston was surreal. However, it should be noted that the exhibition would have suffered from a smaller collection -- the number of works was integral to gaining a comprehensive understanding of his method as well as his influence on subsequent artists. The palate of gray, blue and white walls framed the works, while the block quotes on the walls placed sporadically throughout the exhibition provided insights into the works' creations. Due to its distance from the city, the exhibition was quite easy to traffic, allowing for an enjoyable experience.

While many people think of Salem simply as a tourist destination to stop at along the witch trials “Red-line,” Salem also houses this innovative museum. Acting as a cultural gateway to a rich artistic past, PEM houses collections that extend far beyond the fabled witch trials and expand into the present. Continually changing their exhibitions on average every three to four months, PEM offers a diverse array of shows, ranging from summer 2014's "Turner and the Sea," an exploration of the history of naval depictions, to "Calder and Abstraction"(which closed Jan. 4), the interactive exhibition on a revolutionary sculptor. The museum currently features a cutting-edge exhibition on Jo Ractliffe’s modern photography, "Someone Else’s Country." I encourage you to skip the pointy hats and mass tours, opting instead for an experience with PEM’s inventive galleries.