Sandy's Circus (Stone/Kulikov): A Child's View of Alexander Calder's Whimsy
Written: Oct 10 '09
Product Rating:
Pros: A fine look at a time in Calder's life when whimsy ruled and magic happened.
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: Sandy's Circus is a fine retelling of a fascinating and whimsical period in Alexander Calder's life, which should enthrall a child with an interest in Art.
MiDoyle's Full Review: Tanya Lee Stone - Sandy's Circus: A Story About Al...
Alexander Calder (1898-1976) was one of the giants of American sculpture in the 20th century, one whose enigmatic, colorful, and whimsical works have never lost their charms or sense of wonder. Calder's pieces are unique visions of possibility and engagement with the world around it. A smile is a given after looking at his works, whether they be a mobile or a stabile, every Calder is ... a Calder.
Calder captured that sense of wonder in the 1920s in Paris when he began to make a name for himself by embracing whimsy in remarkable fashion. Calder had once had a newspaper assignment where he drew illustrations (with different perspectives) of Barnum and Bailey Circus. Now, in Paris, he was inspired to start building his own, on a much smaller scale of course. He began using bits of found objects and wire to make his own circus models featuring acrobats, lions, a big top and more, all fashioned from common items. Bringing a child's sense of play into the adult art world, he would perform it whenever possible, moving the pieces, working the mobiles, and providing voices. It was something of a sensation and his creation grew and grew over time as more people wanted to experience it.
His huge hands worked with tiny pieces of wire, cork, cloth, buttons, yarn, string, leather, paper, and bits of wood. He twisted and shaped and curled and cut and curved until ... [page 19]
That sense of child's play at work in an adult's world is well represented in Tanya Lee Stone's retelling of this aspect of Calder's life in Sandy's Circus: A Story about Alexander Calder (2008, Viking, 36 pages) with illustrations by Boris Kulikov.
Stone retells this tale from Calder's Paris days and discusses the beginnings of Calder's career with warmth and fondness. Kulikov's illustrations of pen and ink and vivid colors mix with different backgrounds and scenes from Calder's life. It is avery well done and presented book.
Sandy's Circus is well suited to a child's interest in Art and is recommended for the 6 and up age group. My 7 year old enjoyed the mix of illustration and color and was interested in the details of how Calder achieved his moveable and mobile Art. We might just make our own attempt.
Artist Alexander Sandy Calder was always fiddling with odds and ends, which led him to create wire sculptures. One day Sandy made a lion, then a lion ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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