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Masterpiece: Cow, 1929
by Alexander Calder
Keywords:
Grade:
Month:
Activity:
TIME:
balance, mobile,
kinetics
1st Grade
May
Warm/Cool Mobile
1.5 hours
Meet the Artist:
 Born in Pennsylvania in
1898 to a family of famous
sculptors (father and
grandfather) and painters (mother). He also went by the nickname Sandy.
 He began using wire to make jewelry and sculpting moving objects when he
was in elementary school. During his childhood his father’s work as a
sculptor made his family move a lot between New York and California. This
gave him an experience of seeing new and different cities and people.
 Although his creativity was encouraged as a young child by his parents (a
basement studio was always reserved for him in their new homes to do his
art), they discouraged him from being a career artist knowing that the
profession is uncertain and financially unstable.
 Instead he went to school and trained to be a mechanical engineer. After
graduating he worked several engineering jobs, including working on a
passenger boat.
 On this boat he was finally inspired to pursue an art career when early one
morning he witnessed a “fiery red sunrise” and a “silver coin” moon setting at
the same time.
 He moved to New York to study art and while in school, became fascinated
with the circus. He did wire frame sculptures of circus people and animals
that could move and ‘perform’ with assistance. These performances were
called “Circus Calder” and became very famous in France and the U.S.
 He moved to Paris France after school and became good friends with other
surreal and abstract artists of the time including Joan Miro (December
artist).
 He liked balance and liked working with metal and wire. Because he was also
mechanical engineer he was able to combine the two. He spent many hours
carefully arranging metal shapes on branching wire to create his large mobile
artworks for which he is well known. The result was airborne sculptures
that remind us of tightrope walkers, orbiting planes, soaring birds, drifting
clouds – all things delicately balanced and moving freely through space. He
created many large metal sculptures and mobiles installed in public parks,
plazas and buildings. He died in 1976.
Possible Questions:
o How was “Cow” made?
o How big do you think this sculpture is in real life? (Actual size is 6-1/2”
tall x 16” long x 4-1/4" wide)
o Is “Cow” a good title? What name would give the cow?
o Could “Cow” be made into a mobile? Into a sculpture? How is this cow
different from a real cow? How is it the same?
o How would you describe “Cow” to someone who hasn’t seen it?
o What is a mobile? Have you ever seen one? A baby’s mobile?
Activity:
Warm/Cool Mobile
Note to Art Guide: Prior to lesson you will need to pre-cut the watercolor
paper into the following sizes so each student receives one 3”x6” and two
3”x3” pieces. Also, cut the foam core into 2”x3” pieces so each student
receives two pieces.
Materials Needed: 3”x6” and 3”x3” precut watercolor paper, 2”x3” precut foam
core (see above), 30” colored wire, markers, push pin, glue, 2” remnant piece of the
wire, 6x6 heavy board for mounting completed mobiles. Have the color wheel
posted.
Explain Activity: Students will implement balance and motion by creating their
own mobile using three shapes.
Process:
1. For each student, provide one 3x6 paper, two 3x3 papers, two 30” colored
wires, and markers.
2. Have students choose two or three colors next to each other on the color
wheel for each of the three squares.
3. Fold the 3x6 rectangle in half so you create 2 back-to-back squares
measuring 3x3. Starting with the 3x6 rectangle and
markers, have students draw concentric squares on each
half using the same colors. See example:
4. Repeat for the other two 3x3 squares using different
sets of three colors next to each other on the color
wheel.
5. When finished with the 3x3 squares, fold each in half diagonally to create
triangles.
6. Bend each 30” wired in half and twist it together for
additional strength.
7. Bend and shape each wire to look identical and like the
bottom wire.
Bottom wire:
8. With the folded 3x6 piece, glue onto the right side of the
top wire as shown.
9. Do the same with the folded 3x3 pieces onto the bottom
wire as shown. Attach the top left side of wire to the loop
of the bottom wire.
10. Pass out to each student, two pieces of the foam core and
the 2” remnant wire. Have students color each foam core
piece using at least one color they had used for their
concentric square drawings. They may trim one of the
pieces so it is smaller in length.
11. With the push pin, punch a small hole into one of the foam
core pieces.
12. Shape the 2” remnant wire into a ‘U’ shape and loop
through the top piece as shown.
13. Push both sides of the wire through the hole of the foam
core with the colored side exposed. Spread the wires
apart in back (like a brad fastener) and glue the 2 foam
core pieces together, sandwiching the wire between the
pieces of foam core.
14. Finally, attach the entire assemblage to the 6”x6” heavy
board
Photograph of Alexander Calder and Other Works
Totem
Fish
Tank
Untitled, 1976
The Star