First mobile sculptures

The first ‘mobile’ sculptures – kinetic constructions of wire, rods and weighted objects in a balanced and moving arrangement – were created by the American sculptor Alexander Calder from 1930 onwards, and were first called ‘mobiles’ by artist Marcel Duchamp in 1931. Initially driven by motors, Calder’s mobiles were soon moved solely by currents of air, although some of his creations have also used liquids and gravity. First conceived as experiments in animations of abstract paintings, and as a constant redefinition of space, Calder’s mobiles have gone on to inspire countless popular examples, from visual entertainment for young children to modern house decorations. One of Calder’s largest mobiles is the 76-ft-long (23.16-m) and 920-lb (417.3-kg) ‘Untitled’ (1976), made of aluminium and installed in the East Building of the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA. Alexander Calder came from a family of sculptors, including his grandfather, Alexander Milne Calder, who created the sculptural decorations for the City Hall in Philadelphia, USA. Calder studied engineering and then art in New York. Like many American artists of this period, Calder then travelled to Paris where he was inspired by the likes of Joan Miró, Sophie Taeuber-Arp and Piet Mondrian.