An expert’s guide to Alexander Calder: six must-read books on the US sculptor

Alexander Calder with Snow Flurry I (1948) in a 1952 photograph by Gordon Parks © Gordon Parks Foundation; © Calder Foundation, New York/ADAGP, Paris; courtesy Calder Foundation/Art Resource
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The US artist Alexander Calder (1898-1976) did not invent hanging sculptures but with his mobiles he took them to a new level of mastery and innovation. This month, an exhibition of almost 300 works at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris will take visitors through the development of these carefully calibrated sculptures, as well as looking at the artist’s wider practice. Here, the show’s guest curators Dieter Buchhart and Anna Karina Hofbauer have selected a careful balance of books to help us better understand Calder’s life and work.
“Jed Perl’s paired volumes are the definitive resource for anyone looking for a comprehensive account of one of the 20th century’s most consequential artists. Based on unprecedented archival research and numerous interviews, this work situates Calder within the evolution of Modernism on the old and new continents, bringing to life all the friendships and intellectual currents that shaped his personality and oeuvre.”
“The only book that could possibly provide a more intimate sense of Calder as a man is his autobiography. Thoroughly illustrated with family photos, postcards, exhibition posters and artworks, the book vividly recounts Calder’s story through the eyes of a seasoned artist looking back while remaining fully engaged in creation.”
“Calder/Miró, produced for the exhibition at Fondation Beyeler in 2004, explores the creative dialogue between Calder and his avant-garde peer Joan Miró. Documenting a lifelong friendship, this lavishly illustrated catalogue highlights shared artistic strategies, concentrating on their holistic understanding of space in art.”
“This exhibition catalogue is notable for its abundance of scholarly essays concentrating on the movement and theatricality inherent to Calder’s sculptural practice. Elegantly illustrated with his wire works, film stills, sketches and more, the book offers remarkable insights into Calder’s work for the stage, and how he introduced choreography and sound into his art at large.”
“This lovely little story highlight’s Calder’s youthful curiosity and ingenuity; how a boy who loved tinkering with wire and odd bits of material moved to Paris and created a miniature, moveable circus. With imaginative illustrations by Boris Kulikov, Tanya Lee Stone’s story makes for an inspiring and accessible introduction to one of the many dimensions of Calder’s work.”
• Calder: Dreaming in Equilibrium, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, 15 April-16 August
The $70m centre will feature indoor and outdoor spaces with rotating exhibitions of Calder’s work
An early example of Calder’s most famous creations, the work carries a record estimate of $15m to $20m
The $70m Calder Gardens is a unique space serving as both a celebration of the artist’s work and a meticulously landscaped oasis on the city’s grandest boulevard

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