Wire Sculpture

Alexander Calder1898-1976

Calder with Myxomatose, 1953 (A08122), Paris. Photograph by Agnès Varda, 1954

Goldfish Bowl , 1929Wire16" x 15" x 6"Calder Foundation, New York

“Calder utilized his innovative genius to profoundly change the course of modern art. He began by developing a new method of sculpting: by bending and twisting wire, he essentially "drew" three-dimensional figures in space. He is knowned for the invention of the mobile, whose suspended, abstract elements move and balance in changing harmony. Calder also devoted himself to making outdoor sculpture on a grand scale from bolted sheet steel.” -http://calder.org/home.html

Joan Miro, c. 1930Wire11 7/16" x 10 5/8"

Fernand Leger, 1930Wire16" x 14"Private Collection

Vertical Foliage, 1941Sheet metal, wire, and paint53 1/2" x 66"Calder Foundation, New York

Calder Websites:

•http://calder.org/home.html

•http://www.artknowledgenews.com/Alexander_Calders_Paris_Years.html

Elizabeth Berrienhttp://www.wirelady.com/index.html

She’s a contemporary artist who began working with wire in 1968 when given an assignment

in high school art class.

“Animals have always been a presence in Elizabeth Berrien's life. She lives on a farm on California's rugged north coast with cats, dogs and horses, and occasional visits from foxes, raccoons, bears and mountain lions.” -http://www.wirelady.com/about.html

2-D Wire Pygmy Goat

Pegasus, Louisville Airport

Naomi GrossmanShe is a contemporary artist working in New York.

“My wire sculptures and mixed media installation pieces reference the female form and become drawings in space. The wires change in thickness as a drawn line might. Words like thoughts appear. The wire creates a tension- “wired”- while also conveying both strength and fragility.”

-http://www.naomigrossman.com/statement/

Freefall

Student Work

Vocabulary: define these terms in your journal.

• contour

• outline

• expressive

• gauge

• crimping

Art Elements and Principles of Design

•Line

•Shape

•Form

•Space (positive and negative)

•Movement

•Balance

•Proportion

•Emphasis (focal point)

Main Objectives:•The level of craftsmanship in the

creation and finishing of the work is exemplary.

•The sculpture shows a comprehensive understanding of your referenced object. The sculpture is creative and inventive with the way in which you use line, shape and space.

Vocab Answers

•Contour- lines that define edges and surface ridges of an object (helps to create 3-dimensional look)

•Outline- lines that shows outer edges of a shape (flat; 2d)

•Expressive- conveying ideas or moods (feelings)

•Gauge- the thickness of wire (lower number = thicker diameter)

•Crimping- pressing and pinching wire together