Calder’s Circus at 100. Scott Kelley’s Upsidaisium Series at Surovek Gallery

The Whitney is celebrating the centennial anniversary of Alexander Calder’s circus-themed sculptures and drawings.

 

 

Calder (1898–1976) began creating the works in 1926, when he was a young American artist living in Paris. He would perform with his figures, made of wire, wool, metal, cork, fabric, and string for live audiences. His performances, which included handmade stage props, music and lighting, drew audiences from Paris’ avant-garde art world, including Joan Miró, Marcel Duchamp and Piet Mondrian. The circus was a pre-cursor to his creation of his motorized works and, later, his mobiles. Calder also created static sculptures, called "stabiles," as well as paintings, jewelry, theater sets, and costumes.

 

High Wire: Calder’s Circus at 100 will be on view at the Whitney through Mar 9, 2026.

 

Calder’s works can also be see at the recently opened Calder Gardens in Philadelphia, where large sculptures are on view in both the Gardens and the indoor galleries. The staff of the nearby Barnes Foundation will be overseeing the rotating displays and the beautifully landscaped gardens themselves.

 

Last month, a large wooden sculpture by Calder, sold for $20.4 million at Christie’s. Painted Wood (1943) from Calder’s Constellation Series, was inspired by Joan Miró’s Constellation Series of paintings.

 

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Works from Scott Kelley’s Upsidaisium Series, 2025 are yet another reminder of the spectacular world around us. 

 

 

Kelley, who lives and works in Peaks Island, Maine, travels to the Everglades to connect with, draw and paint the flora and fauna that he sees.

 

A master of watercolor and gouache, Kelley is able to convey wonder and awe to the viewers of his work.

 

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A recent exhibit at Art Cake Gallery in Brooklyn, explored the idea of the way in which artists defined what a painting could be.

 

 

Frank Stella’s (1936-2024) work was included in the exhibit, since it was Stella whose Black Paintings, in 1959, turned the art world on its head and became a catalyst and influence for change.

 

As Stella’s practice progressed he began to use more texture, color and form in his works. The years before he died, he was creating giant sculptures. “A sculpture is just a painting cut out and stood up somewhere,” he said.

 

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December 12, 2025