Buffet, Gabrielle. “Alexandre Calder, ou le roi du fil de fer.” Vertigral, vol. 1, no. 1 (15 July 1932).
MagazineGallotti, Jean. “Sculpture automobile.” Vu (6 April 1932).
MagazineRichard, Marius. “Sculptures à moteur.” Patrie, February 1932.
NewspaperRoot, Waverley Lewis. “Calder Makes Some New Gadgets, Puts ‘Em On Exhibit.” Chicago Tribune (Paris edition), February 1932.
NewspaperGramont, Henry. “La curieuse exposition de l’americain Calder.” (Publication unknown), February 1932.
NewspaperComtesse Belloni. “Ståltrad.” Göteborgs Handels Och Sjöfarts tidning, 20 February 1932.
NewspaperFierens. Journal des Debats, 29 February 1932.
NewspaperMarcel Duchamp visits the studio at 14 rue de la Colonie again and sees Calder’s latest works. There was one motor-driven thing, with three elements. The thing had just been painted and was not quite dry yet. Marcel said, “Do you mind?” When he put his hands
on it, the object seemed to please him, so he arranged for me to show in Marie Cuttoli’s Galerie Vignon, close to the Madeleine. I asked him what sort of a name I could give these things and he at once produced “Mobile.” In addition to something that moves, in French it also means motive. Duchamp also suggested that on my invitation card I make a drawing of the motor-driven object and print: CALDER/SES MOBILES.
“Calder: ses mobiles” is held at Galerie Vignon, Paris.
Galerie Percier, Paris. Alexandre Calder: Volumes–Vecteurs–Densités / Dessins–Portraits. 27 April–9 May 1931.
Galerie Vignon, Paris. Calder: ses mobiles. 12–29 February 1932.
Following a visit in October of 1930 to Piet Mondrian’s studio, where he was impressed by the environmental installation, Calder made his first wholly abstract compositions and invented the kinetic sculpture now known as the mobile. Coined for these works by Marcel Duchamp in 1931, the word “mobile” refers to both “motion” and “motive” in French. He also created stationary abstract works that Jean Arp dubbed “stabiles.”
