Alexander Calder’s Visual Poetry: Mobiles and Stabiles
For Grades K–12
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Inspired by Spotlight on the Collection—Artists in Depth: Arp, Miró, Calder, Presented by The Buffalo News
(March 25, 2011–April 15, 2012)
FEATURED WORK
Artist: Alexander Calder
Work: The Cone, 1960
Type of Work: Sculpture
OBJECTIVES
- Observe Alexander Calder’s sculpture The Cone
- Learn the meaning of the terms stabile and mobile
- Learn that mobiles move due to both balance and air currents
- Create a personal interpretation of The Cone through a creative poem
BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR EDUCATORS
Learn about Alexander Calder’s The Cone, 1960
RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION PRIOR TO GALLERY VISIT
How does each of the following items use air?
Paper fans, motorized fans, clotheslines used to dry clothes
How does air make each of the following items move?
Sailboats, party favors that unroll when you blow into them, balloons that fly when you let go of them without tying them off, dandelion seeds that float through the air, kites, flags, paper airplanes, real airplanes
GALLERY VISIT
Have your students observe Alexander Calder’s sculpture The Cone in the Gallery. (For more information about visiting the Gallery, please see our Art’scool tour program page. If you arrange a guided tour for your students, please make sure you request to see The Cone.)
Explain that Alexander Calder called sculptures that didn’t move stabiles. Can your students identify the cones that make up the stabile part of this sculpture? These cones balance on each other. How are they similar to each other? How are they different?
Explain that Calder called moving sculptures mobiles. Can your students identify the mobile that is part of this sculpture? How many and what kind of shapes make up the mobile? What colors are these shapes?
Walk your students in a circle around The Cone two or three times, being very careful not to touch it. Then stop and watch very carefully. What happens? What do your students think is moving the mobile? (Have patience—the sculpture takes a minute or so to respond to the air currents you have created.) Look very carefully at the mobile. How many pieces of wire did Calder use? How did he attach the shapes to one another? Can your students explain how the mobile moves—both through balance and due to air currents?
POETRY AND THE CONE
Alexander Calder said, “To most people who look at a mobile, it’s no more than a series of flat objects that move. To a few, though, it may be poetry.”
Have your students think about the shapes, colors, balance, and movement they have experienced through the sculpture. What do all these things remind them of? Have them write a poem about what the sculpture reminds them of or makes them think about.
ADDITIONAL Resources
To learn more about Alexander Calder, visit the Calder Foundation website:
http://calder.org/home
For more curriculum ideas, visit the Calder Foundation website’s Education page: http://calder.org/foundation/page/education.html
New York State Learning Standards
- English Language Arts Standard 1–4
- Math, Science, and Technology Standard 4
- Visual Arts Standards 1–4 (with museum visit)
Today
Monday
May 21
The Gallery is closed. Please visit us tomorrow between 10 am and 5 pm.
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