Although Alexander Calder is best known for his mobiles, he created a substantial body of paintings and works on paper, often overlooked but deeply connected to his sculptural language.

In this work, Black Leafed Flowers, 1972, Calder uses his classic primary colors — red, black, blue— and organic playful forms echoing the shapes in his mobiles and stabiles. Here, the floral motif blooms in stark silhouette, animated by the artist’s signature hand: playful yet precise, grounded yet floating. We can relate this work to Calder’s sculpture and many works in the exhibition by Katz, Yoo, or Monet; a moment of observation becomes a portal between reality and reverie.

Calder’s work has been exhibited and collected by every major modern art institution, including the Guggenheim, MoMA, Tate, and Centre Pompidou.

Provenance 
Perls Galleries, New York
Deson-Zaks Gallery, Chicago
Private Collection, Tucson, 1975
Anon. sale; Sotheby's, New York, 24 September 2014, lot 107
Private Collection, New York
Thence by descent
Christie’s New York, Post-War to Present, 27th September 2019, lot 233
Private Collection, Europe

Exhibitions
Seoul, K Museum of Contemporary Art, Calder on Paper, 13 December 2019 – 13 April 2020