Alexander Calder: Imperfect Circles
Huge bright red, yellow and black circles, red and yellow triangles, and black spirals greet the visitor to ‘Made in Guatemala’ at The Gallery of Everything. The strong, striking, and vibrant works were designed by Alexander Calder (he of mobile fame) in the last few years of his life and made by Guatemalan weavers in maguey, a fibre extracted from the agave plant. “What we found intriguing,” says James Brett, founder of The Gallery of Everything, “was that it was a collaboration between Calder and the artisans.”
Alexander Calder, Hammock, 1974
Calder (1898–1976) had long been intrigued by folk art and indigenous manufacture, and in the 1940s he and his wife visited Central America, discovering locally made wall hangings. His interest was rekindled by the collector and philanthropist Kitty Meyer, who had decorated her New York apartment with indigenous tapestries. Following the 1972 earthquake in Nicaragua, Meyer persuaded several artists, including Calder, to provide lithographs for a charity auction to raise funds for artisans and makers there. Later, in 1973, Meyer visited the Calders in their studio and home in France, bringing a Massaya hammock as a thank you from the Nicaraguan weavers...
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Image Credits:
Lead Image: Alexander Calder, Snake (detail). Courtesy of The Gallery of Everything
All other Images: As credited in the captions, and attributed to The Gallery of Everything.