Alexander Calder

Miró, Léger, Hélion and Arp were friends in Paris, Léger writing a catalogue introduction. A visit to Mondrian “shocked” Calder into embracing colour and abstraction in his sculpture. Duchamp, another Paris friend, seeing how transportable his work was, arranged an exhibition after Calder had returned to the U.S., and came up with the word ‘mobile’ (Arp supplying ‘stabile’). Richter included a Calder sequence in a film of his, and introduced him to Huelsenbeck, who said he had foxy eyes. He designed sets for Graham, while Sert invited him to make a mercury fountain in honour of miners who had resisted Franco.