Early Mobiles / Biomorphic Forms
By 1931 Calder was experimenting with structures that could move
randomly when propelled by the wind or air currents.
Cône d'ébène
is one of the earliest "classic" mobiles in which hanging elements are
designed to coexist in varying states of dynamic equilibrium. The
biomorphic shapes of the carved wooden objects are similar to some of the
forms that appear in Calder's drawings of 1932, exhibited in this room.
They mark a trend in Calder's art away from geometric forms toward a more
organic imagery.