Alexander Calder

Knoedler & Co., New York
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner circa 1980

New York, M. Knoedler & Co.,Inc., Alexander Calder: Sculpture of the 1970s, 1978

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the red is richer and more vibrant in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is a tiny loss to the extreme edge of the base, just below the date, visible in the catalogue illustration. There are scattered specks of paint loss to the top of the stabile, most notably in places along the red wire and to the corners of the red balancing metal element. There are extremely faint drying cracking to several of the white discs, visible only upon close inspection.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This work is registered in the archives of the Calder Foundation, New York, under application number A02131

Executed in the penultimate year in the life of one of the Twentieth Century's greatest sculptors, Five Little Discs is a wonderfully poised example of Alexander Calder's major innovation to combine the kinetics of mobility and the sweeping, structural beauty of static energy. As with the other outstanding examples of these statue-mobiles, the present work combines the techniques mastered by Calder in his earlier investigations into the dual forces of rest and motion. Seeming to invert the viewer's preconceptions of the solidity, weight and immovability of metal, Five Discs displays Calder's uncanny aptitude to manipulate this inflexible material and expand the boundaries of three-dimensional compositions. Calder himself stated that "when everything goes right a mobile is a piece of poetry that dances with the joy of life and surprise" (the artist cited in: Exhibition Catalogue, New York, O'Hara Gallery, Alexander Calder: Selected Works 1932-1972, p. 3). With its elegant grounded base and extended free-flowing arm, Five Little Discs strikes a perfect balance between rest and motion. The vivid geometric elements cut from industrial metals take on a life of their own. The bold primaries of red and blue, complimented with the ethereal white discs coalesce into a highly sophisticated composition to form an art work that is aesthetically beautiful, technically accomplished and a marvel of artistic ingenuity.