Wire Sculpture
Attracted by Paris' reputation as an artistic center, Calder moved there
in 1926 and earned his living as an illustrator and a toy designer. At the
same time, he was developing a miniature circus of articulated performers
in wire, a material that he soon adapted for his sculpture. Working in this
radical new medium was tantamount to drawing in space. In a series of wire
portraits and full-size figures from the late 1920s,
Calder captured with humor the salient features of his subjects,
from president Calvin Coolidge and entertainer
Josephine Baker,
to his artist friend Joan Miró.