Calder: Gravity and Grace

A beautifully produced monograph on American sculptor Alexander Calder (1898-1976), one of the greatest sculptors of the twentieth century, this book comprises a critical essay, a superb selection of colour plates, invaluable excerpts from the artist's writings and interviews, a chronology, a bibliography and an exhibition history. Calder, best known for his 'mobiles' and abstract constructions achieved vast popular acclaim as well as profound respect from the art world during his lifetime, perhaps more than any other artist at the time, Picasso included. The extensive coverage of his life's work assimilates works spanning his entire career, as well as providing a sense of the artist as a person, as it gets behind the scenes of his artistic life to shed light on his work from the perspective of individuals who knew and, to a certain degree, influenced him. The inclusion of documentary photographs of Calder and his studio by major photographers, including Ugo Mulas, Inge Morath and Herbert Matter, allows insight into the ways in which his life shaped his work. Altogether, the compilation is a wonderful artistic achievement - from the depiction of Calder's work, to the images captured by established photographers, to the actual presentation of this unique assortment of rare materials.