Performing Sculpture at Tate Modern along with Red 332

Performing Sculpture-now on

It's easy to overlook the influence of the US three dimensional pioneer Alexander Calder but the current exhibition at London's Tate Modern put up a good case with a wide range of his work.

The display of work is wide ranging and includes audio visual work alongside drawings and studies for the sculptures that followed.

It's clear that Calder uses his engineering background but they do not become a distraction and are more of an enabling skill.

Calder was clearly influenced by the figures he was around who included Mondrian and Duchamp - in fact it's Duchamp who coined the term 'Mobiles' to describe these often suspended  works.

Mondrian being, probably as many imagine he'd be

I was particularly impressed with the wire likenesses that the artist created, almost line drawing cartoons made real. (Fernand Léger for example).

The shadows thrown by many of the constructions too were worth looking at and I was reminded of a local artist's work (John Kaye) in some of the colourful works that sought to extend the 'frame' like his works in the 1930'as which included The Orange Panel.

Tate Modern's seasonal visitors

The exhibition is well curated with a clear development from early representational work, some dalliance with mechanical movement  and there's (of course) plenty of associated merchandise - well worth a visit (on until 3rd April 2106) .

Red 332

Another engineering red - this working on the Thames in Central London (you can see it's quite big by the figures on the craft).

A structure on the Thames