Vache

ca. 1930
Alexander Calder, 1898-1976

Wire, 7 x 19 x 6 in., Promised gift of Jon and Mary Shirley, photo: Nicholas Shirley, Brightwood Photos.

In Animal Sketching, Calder wrote, “Animals—action. These two words go hand and hand in art. […] So there is always a feeling of perpetual motion about animals and to draw them successfully this must be borne in mind.” While in Paris in 1926, Calder lifted line from the two-dimensional page in his wire sculptures, or drawings in space. Vache (cow in French) does not contain overtly articulated parts, yet it appears ready for motion. Its hooves balance carefully on the ground, revealing the sculpture’s elasticity; you can imagine placing a finger on the animal’s back, pressing down, and watching it recoil and vibrate under that pressure. In this way, the material—wire, with its potential for kinetic activation—imbues the cow with a sense of action. Meticulous details—for example, the cow’s curlicue udders and double-pronged tail—reveal Calder’s mastery over his medium and his creativity in working within its limitations.