Simplicity of Means: Calder and the Devised Object

Dinner bells, chess sets, ashtrays, candelabra, key rings, door latches, forks, spoons, tie racks, toys and long, duck-like cigarette holders are just some of the hand-made domestic objects that the important and prolific American sculptor Alexander Calder (1898-1976) made out of humble, recycled materials for his homes and his loved ones over the course of his long career. This delightful volume features 52 diverse, often anthropomorphic, but always functional objects that represent this limited and rarely seen facet of Calder's oeuvre. It is the first to focus on Calder's purely utilitarian art since 1989. Jessica Holmes writes in her introduction, "Combining a profound comprehension of mechanics with an aesthetic sensibility, Calder produced a household full of practical items that are mundane in name only--ashtray, folding table, toaster--names that belie a fantastic integration of function and form."