After finishing college in 1919, Calder worked as an
engineer during the day and took drawing classes in the evening. Some time later, while still taking classes, Calder worked as an
illustrator. Newspapers at that time often used drawings, rather than photography, to illustrate stories. In 1925 he was sent on an assignment to
sketch the
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The circus became a subject of lasting inspiration for Calder.
Calder moved to Paris in 1926 in search of new experiences and people who would help him develop as an artist. Paris is a center of artistic activity and a great city for a young artist to live in. While in Paris, working with some of the same materials that he used in his childhood such as wood, metal, and wire, Calder began making sculpture. Wire, in particular, became one of Calder’s favorite mediums.
In 1930, Calder visited the studio of Dutch artist Piet Mondrian. The colored cardboard shapes pinned to Mondrian’s studio wall inspired Calder to start making abstract sculpture. He also thought that it would be amazing if the abstract shapes could move! Calder invented a moving sculpture that hung in space. His friend, the artist Marcel Duchamp called it a “mobile.”
Around the same time, he produced sculptures that did not move, known as “stabiles.” Throughout his long career, Calder also created works that were used as stage sets in performances and exhibited in public spaces.
