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Quotes from Statement from Modern Painting and Sculpture — Alexander Calder

1898–1976 United States

← All quotes by Alexander Calder

6 quotes

The sense of motion in painting and sculpture has long been considered as one of the primary elements of the composition.

Statement from Modern Painting and Sculpture (1933)

Fernand Léger's film, 'Ballet Mecanique' is the result of the desire for a picture in motion.

Statement from Modern Painting and Sculpture (1933)

The aesthetic value of these objects cannot be arrived at by reasoning. Familiarization is necessary.

Statement from Modern Painting and Sculpture (1933)

Marcel Duchamp's 'Nude descending the stairs' is the result of the desire for motion. Here he has also eliminated representative form. This avoids the connotation of ideas which would interfere with the success of the main issue - the sense of movement.

Statement from Modern Painting and Sculpture (1933)

Wherever there is a main issue the elimination of other things which are not essential will make for a stronger result. In the earlier static abstract sculptures I was most interested in space, vectoral quantities, and centers of differing densities.

Statement from Modern Painting and Sculpture (1933)

Therefore, why not plastic forms in motion? Not a simple translatory or rotary motion but several motions of different types, speeds and amplitudes composing to make a resultant whole. Just as one can compose colors, or forms, so one can compose motions.

Statement from Modern Painting and Sculpture (1933)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Alexander Calder (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.