Alexander Calder's foray into creating fish sculptures spans several decades and reflects his pioneering spirit in both kinetic art and static sculptures. His fascination with aquatic themes is evident in several key pieces, each illustrating a unique aspect of his artistic journey and experimentation with form, movement, and materials.
In 1929, Calder crafted a brass wire sculpture simply titled "Fish," representing an early exploration of the theme. This piece, created as a Christmas gift for his father, showcases Calder's ingenious use of wire to capture the essence and fluidity of aquatic life. The sculpture's construction emphasized Calder's ability to imbue static materials with a sense of motion and liveliness, a recurring theme throughout his career (Calder Foundation).
"Devil Fish," created in 1937, marked a significant development in Calder's exploration of marine subjects. This work was Calder's first stabile enlarged from a model and exhibited at the Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York, in the same year. "Devil Fish" underscores Calder's transition towards monumental sculptures, reflecting his continuous experimentation with abstract forms and his interest in depicting nature through a modernist lens (Calder Foundation).
In 1934, "Steel Fish" presented another monumental approach to the fish motif, crafted from sheet metal, rod, wire, and paint. Measuring impressively at 115" × 137" × 120", this work exemplifies Calder's mastery over large-scale forms and his ability to convey the dynamism of aquatic life through stationary materials. "Steel Fish" was a precursor to Calder's later monumental works, combining his interests in abstraction, movement, and the natural world (Calder Foundation).
"Fish" from 1945 further exemplifies Calder's use of mixed media, incorporating rod, wire, plastic, wood, glass, ceramic, string, and paint. This work, housed in the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., encapsulates Calder's mature period, where his iconic mobiles had fully developed. The sculpture reflects Calder's enduring fascination with fish, integrating elements of motion and balance that are characteristic of his mobiles (Calder Foundation).
Through these works, Calder not only expanded the boundaries of sculpture but also demonstrated an enduring fascination with the natural world, capturing the essence of fish and aquatic life through innovative use of materials and form.