This piece of writing focuses on The Brass Family of art by Alexander Calder. He is one of the most famous and best artist in the sector of sculptors from the twentieth century. Alexander Calder was born in Pennsylvania, the United States of America in the year 1898. He was son and grandson to artists, and his mother Nanette Calder was a painter. Calder's gift ran through the family line, and one would even argue it was automatically passed on to the succeeding generation. However, the initially Calder was reluctant to join the “family business” but later in his lifetime, he came into terms with the profound destiny that even fascinated him more than he imagined. Today, Calder is best known and remembered for inventing the mobile art. This was an art kind that was suspended, where abstract shapes move and balance in changing harmony.
Precisely, Calder creates the stable that is huge sculptors with no moving parts from bolted sheets of steel, previously he used wires in formative stage of his career. Calder could bend and twist wires, therefore, developing a new method of sculpting. In the year 1929, he designed The Brass Family art which was a sculpture made out of cables (Calder and Gérard-Georges, 1959) Calder’s love for circus led him to attend Bailey and Barnum performances where he was much fascinated by the balancing, the precision of the tightrope and the trapeze artist. From this fascinations, he drew many illustrations that later drove him in inventing his sculptures. The Brass Family sculpture was not inclusive of a circus rather a subject issue of circus acrobats. This family of art is entirely made of brass wire and mirrors Alexander Calder’s famous quote: “I think best in the wire.” (Julius 102)
Art is a broad array that composes of both text and graphical items. In its own, art is meant to communicate specific information as well as display the feeling attached to the particular art. Interestingly art is something that keeps advancing now and then. Art like The Brass Family one depicts both shallow and deeps message. The message on close observation is in one way or another linked to the specific artist they belong to. The aptly named Brass family sculpture displays a total of six humans. The original image displayed in this piece of art is a man (a weightlifter in this scenario). The rest seven human beings appear to gymnast balancing on top of the weightlifter. All the figures in the sculpture are nude, and the weightlifter is planted on a dark painted wooden block(Julius, 2016).
The figure that appears as the weightlifter supporting the gymnast is presumably the father. He is constructed using heavy, strong gauge wire gray and the rest of the six-figure that are all above him are made of lighter wire. The father is displayed as standing with his legs agape and bent slightly and is also has spread out his both hands each forming a right angle with the rest of his body. His fist is clenched as well while on top, both of his hands are two smaller figures with each a foot on the elbow and the other foot on the shoulder. From the viewer’s perspective, these two figures appear to represent either his older children or his relatives.
The two figures on the ‘fathers’ appear to be holding a female figure over their heads lying horizontally; this female figure is presumably the ‘mother’. The sculpture goes on to being more abstract. On the stomach of the ‘mother’ a smaller figure does a one handstand balance. The smaller figure is smaller compared to the ‘mother’ thus appears like a ‘child’ when considered in the context of a traditional nucleus family. In addition to the art are two small figures that appear to be the smallest in size. These two figures both seem to be doing a two-armed handstand on each of the “fathers” clenched fist. In The Brass Family
sculpture the father figure appears to be rock solid; he is supposedly family gracefully balances over him. Tension can be depicted in the balancing act but there very minimal chances of anyone falling off.
Alexander Calder's most sculpture art concern balancing and stability. The idea of stability is evident from the posture and angles of figures in The Brass Family Sculpture. Calder’s ideology and profound genius have a very significant impact on modern art. Through his art, he changed and influenced many artists. Generally, Calder's work was both lyrical and playful but never frivolous. During the early years of Calder's career, many questioned whether his job would be categorized as art. The questioning did not stop him from doing his thing; instead, he went farther to work with unconventional and unusual material. His passion was intrigued and driven by the urge to achieve originality.
Evidence 1
Hayek's Unconventionalism, Jacquis Garello, 1999
From the above-described art object, it is clear that Calder was in pursuit to launch a new form of art. In simpler terms, he was trying to show artist how to embrace modernism. The fact that he uses unconventional materials to design his sculpture shows that he was introducing a new are in the art history and his desire for ever being original was an indication that other artist should embrace it. One would argue that Alexander Calder was bridging and demolishing the walls of conventionalism. Calder believes the future is now and an artist brain should not be limited at all. It is evident that being outstanding or unique in any field comes with its challenges. For instance, many people questioned Calder's new and modern art and whether to classify its art. Calder’s quest of being originality never ceased whatsoever instead he designed more art with out of the conventional usual methods and materials used in the art. This depicts that an artist’s mind should no stop at anything but being the best and original in his or her work.
Calder art of brass family is mounted on a wooden base and this basement is meant to offer the stability of the family. Keenly this is an indication that all art is one thing that roots from a common aspect. Moreover, the art shows that the artist is connected or linked together with one thing or the other just like a family. Artist should as well be supportive to achieve a balance in advancement and originality. Via Calder's art, one can say that he displays the ideology of expressionism. An artist opts to reveal his minds imaginations by expressing their self regardless of the norm.
Evidence 2
Manifesto of Futurism
Futurism manifestation is also another element that Alexander Calder vigorously to tries to depict. ‘Courage, audacity, and revolt will be essential in our property’ according to the futurist manifesto documentation are some of the things viewed in Calder's art. It requires one to master courage in order to practice manifestation which is evident in the art of The Brass Family where his work would be considered absurd, but he did not quit whatsoever.(Humphreys and Tate, 1999) Self-expression and absurdity are two things that seem to intertwine, and through art, they revealed to work hand in hand. When an artist is expressing him/herself on the basis to showcase their imagination, he or she is likely not to conform to the obvious thus being view as absurd.
In art, there so many items or themes that appear to be displayed in a single piece of art. Some of this items are direct (obvious to depict), and there are others that are indirect (they require a deep understanding of art as well as scrutinizing appropriately). This aspect viewed as a resultant effort of futurism and modernism is supremacism. It is a form of abreaction that evident in The Brass Family Sculpture. To experience non- objectivity in the art the feeling of supremacy is felt where something becomes much abstract to the known world. An artist can do this by eliminating all the clues that are obvious but maintain the essentials that speak out his mind (expressionism). The use of wires to design sculpture appears too non-descriptive because it omits the known visual aspects, but this is how absurd futurism appears.
Evidence 3
1Red, 4 black Plus X, Alexander Calder, 1947
Calder’s art can teach another artist whether established or upcoming that art is all about self- expression. Various factors can easily influence this. For instance, the family to which Alexander Calder came from impacted his love and passion for art. Also, he used what he fancied and used it to showcase what fascinated him using his artwork. Again is a desire for mechanical and handwork drove his urge to explore a new form of art. Being someone who had pursued engineering, using a wire in his art shoes how one desires in life and help them express themselves. Breaking all the rules of conventionalism also is something that an artist mind opt not to be limited to norms in art.
To be extraordinary in one’s work require you to be exceptional, and that entails doing the unimaginable and unexpected. Calder’s form of art was like a stepping stone for most modern artist. It paved way for more abstract artists. The mobile art work in his history of artistic really his ides further. He managed to play with the density of a color and even made movement of in a static image possible, one of the most common kinds of art currently.
In conclusion, it is evident that The Brass Family is attached to so many creative aspects of art communication. The delivery aspects as discussed above are the like of modernism, expressionism, absurdity, futurism, and creativity. The aspect communicates a lot about one's mind. To embrace new and unconventional, one has gone beyond the norm. For one express themselves means they have to come in terms with absurdity. In perspective, these aspects are supportive of each other. Understanding modernism in general calls for acceptance of advancement and overwriting the old requires unlimited imagination to be displayed to the real world.
Works Cited
Calder, Alexander, and Gérard-Georges Lemaire. Alexander Calder. Stedelijk Museum, 1959.
Garello, Jacques. "Hayek's Unconventionalism." Journal des Economistes et des Etudes Humaines 9.4 (1999).
Guerrero, Pedro E., and Pedro Guerrero. Pedro Guerrero: A Photographer? s Journey with Frank Lloyd Wright, Alexander Calder, and Louise Nevelson. Princeton Architectural Press, 2007.
Humphreys, Richard, and Tate Gallery. Futurism. London: Tate Gallery, 1999.
Hargrave, Terry D., and Nicole E. Zasowski. Families and forgiveness: Healing wounds in the intergenerational family. Routledge, 2016.
Julius, Corinne. "Alexander Calder: Performing sculpture." Craft Arts International 96 (2016): 102.
