Artists: William "Bill" & Jeanne Magaw
Nationality: American
Date of Birth/Death: Bill: 1932-2023, Jeanne: 1936-2024
Medium: Painted Iron
Measurement: 75" H x 61" W x 30" D
Year Donated: 2014
The famous 20th Century American artist Alexander Calder, (American, 1898 - 1976) created two forms of sculpture that became synonymous with modern art—the mobile and the stabile. Composed of disparate abstract shapes and often brightly colored, elements of a mobile move and rotate and are typically hung from above.Our example is a stabile and it is the stationary counterpart to a mobile. Similar in appearance to a mobile, a stabile has parts that move, but it sits on base that is stationary.
The term "stabile" was coined in 1931 by artist Jean Arp to describe the work of Calder. Calder's innovative exploration of mass, color, and movement strongly influenced younger artists, as well as popular culture.
This example was created by William and Jeanne Magaw who are internationally known for their kinetic sculptures that have found their way into gardens, galleries and public places throughout the world. Read more about the Magaws under Sculpture #4, titled, "High Rider."
