Experience the evocative simplicity of Untitled, 2008. Works on Paper. This artwork features an intricate line drawing encapsulated within a sleek silver frame. It portrays abstract human faces intertwined, each uniquely detailed with distinct facial expressions. The artist employs clean, fluid lines to create dynamic movement, suggesting a conversation or interaction between the figures. The minimalist monochrome palette accentuates the complexity of the composition while maintaining simplicity. One face, adorned with spiral curls, contrasts with another characterized by angular, zigzag hair, highlighting individuality amidst connection. Below the figures, a subtle signature adds authenticity, marking the piece with personal significance. The artwork’s framed presentation elevates its elegance, inviting viewers to explore the underlying narrative of communication and identity.
Untitled, 2008. Works on Paper
Clemens Briels
Untitled, 2008
Pencil on paper
Dimensions:
Image size: 11 x 10.5 in.
Frame size: 20.7 x 20 in.
Black Frame
The American sculptor Alexander Calder is known as the father of the mobile, a moving artwork composed of delicately balanced sculptural forms suspended from the ceiling.
Because Calder's parents, both artists themselves, did not want him to suffer the hardships of trying to make a living in art, they encouraged the young Calder to study mechanical engineering at the Stevens Institute of Technology, in Hoboken, New Jersey. He worked a number of jobs, including as a hydraulic engineer and draftsman for the New York Edison Company, before deciding to pursue an artistic career. He never abandoned his engineering background, however, applying his understanding of gears and moving parts in all his artworks, from mechanical toys like the Cirque Calder (1931) and his revered prints to his free-standing abstract sculptures, called stabiles.
In 1926, Calder moved to Paris and established a studio in the Montparnasse quarter. He began creating the many parts of his famous miniature circus from found materials, such as wire, string, cloth, rubber and cork. Designed to be transportable, Cirque grew to fill five suitcases over the years. Always interested in putting forms in motion, Calder also pioneered a new art form called wire sculptures, which he described as “drawings in space.” Like his famous mobiles, the wire sculptures were suspended so that they turned with any movement of the air, presenting different forms when viewed from different angles.
In the 1950s, Calder returned to his roots in mechanical engineering, creating monumental abstract sculptures that verged on the architectural. He worked from loose gestural drawings like this preparatory sketch for his Man Stabile, from 1966. Throughout his career, he also worked as a set designer for the theater, as well as an illustrator and printmaker, producing vibrant, whimsical drawings for books and journals.
