Arty Farty Friday ~ Alexander Calder

Alexander Calder. The anniversary of his birth is coming up next week, on 22nd. I posted about him some six years ago, a re-run tidied and edited wouldn't go amiss.

Calder invented the mobile, the first example of art in motion, but using natural air currents instead of today's technology, to provide movement. He said of his work:

"Each element can move, shift or sway back & forth in a changing relation to each of the other elements in the universe. Thus, they reveal not only isolated moments, but a physical law or variation among the elements of life. Not extractions, but abstractions. Abstractions which resemble no living things except by their manner of reacting."

 Hat-tip HERE

Calder was a pioneer in his era. As well as mobiles he produced huge and dramatic sheet metal sculptures for public spaces, tiny pieces of jewellery and objets d'art made from precious metals, also some abstract paintings.




He is said to have been influenced by some of his contemporaries: Joan Miro and Mondrian, using the inspiration he gained from their work to bring forth a kind of "spin-off" - literally.

Born into a family of artists, Calder showed early aptitude for sculpture, but chose to study engineering.

"Despite his talents, Calder did not originally set out to become an artist. He instead enrolled at the Stevens Institute of Technology after high school and graduated in 1919 with an engineering degree. Calder worked for several years after graduation at various jobs, including as a hydraulics engineer and automotive engineer, timekeeper in a logging camp, and fireman in a ship's boiler room. While serving in the latter occupation, on a ship from New York bound for San Francisco, Calder awoke on the deck to see both a brilliant sunrise and a scintillating full moon; each was visible on opposite horizons (the ship then lay off the Guatemalan coast). The experience made a lasting impression on Calder: he would refer to it throughout his life. Calder committed to becoming an artist shortly thereafter, and in 1923 he moved to New York and enrolled at the Art Students League. "

 Lunarscape (1953)

Before I looked at Calder's natal chart I decided there would have to be a goodly dose of Air in it, to account for his being drawn to produce artwork relying on air for its display. His inventive and futuristic style seemed to say Aquarius - or a strongly aspected Uranus. There'd also be some close Saturn connection to account for his choice to study engineering - not the obvious choice for someone with the soul of an artist. Let's see!




Born on 22 July 1898 in Lawnton, PA. I can find no note of his time of birth, so the chart shown is set for mid-day. Ascendant and exact Moon degree will not be accurate.

No Aquarius, but a nice close trine between Uranus in Scorpio and Cancer Sun, both at 29 degrees. And three planets in Airy Gemini, with Jupiter in Libra makes Air the dominant element in his chart. Saturn, which connects to metals and engineering is out of sign but conjunct Uranus, so also trines his natal Sun. The Moon would remain in Virgo with Venus whatever his time of birth - Virgo's insistence on attention to detail and exactness would be an important component in his ability to produce the kinetic artwork he's famous for.

Alexander Calder died in 1976. More biography here.

“To an engineer, good enough means perfect. With an artist, there's no such thing as perfect.”.

“The underlying sense of form in my work has been the system of the Universe, or part thereof. For that is a rather large model to work from.”

Something to appeal to the astrologer in us (or in some of us):
"Spheres Within a Sphere"

Arty Farty Friday ~ BMW Car Art & Jeff Koons

Some photographs of BMW Art Cars sparked my interest. It appears that since 1975 when the “BMW Art Car Project" was launched by racing driver Hervé Poulain, famous artists from all parts of the world have been invited to use the BMW car as their personal canvas. To date 17 such cars have been created, the latest, for 2010, by Jeff Koons - he of the blow-up dogs sculptures and wildly expensive "Hanging Heart" (see below).

I've chosen 4 previous Art Cars from the current 17, the chosen ones painted by artists about whom I've blogged in past posts. A link to relevant pages is included, and a note of the artist's Sun and other signs. I notice a trine Sun to Uranus in each. They're all considered "modernists" and Uranus is nothing if not modern.

Photos of all 17 BMW Art Cars can be viewed HERE.

Starting with the most recently painted car:

The latest BMW car artist, for 2010 and #17 is Jeff Koons
Sun 00 Aquarius opposite Uranus in late Cancer. Well....he would be a quirky Sun Aquarius person wouldn't he? I mean....look what he's famous for!
















JEFF KOONS' BMW Art Car # 17



Jeff Koons' art creations may look like a lot of kitchiness, but....

NEW YORK, 15 NOVEMBER 2007—A new record for a living artist at auction was set when Jeff Koons’ stainless steel Hanging Heart brought $23.6 million yesterday at Sotheby's evening sale of Contemporary Art in New York. Sold to Gagosian Gallery to applause, Hanging Heart, 1994-2006 is considered one of the most important works by Koons ever offered at auction.

The bright magenta heart and gold undulating bow, which took ten years from conception to completion, is one of five uniquely colored versions of this work from Koons’ Celebration series. The perfect surface is coated in more than ten layers of paint. Executed in high chromium stainless steel, Hanging Heart weighs over 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg), is almost nine feet (2.7 meter) tall and took over 6,000 man hours to produce. (Here.)

More detail on this artist and photos of his work at The Skinny:

Jeff Koons is, depending on who you ask, the visual maestro of the contemporary period, or a self-aggrandizing provocateur whose work is ultimately populist and meaningless. He himself has admitted that Pop-Art sensibilities and a strong attachment to the world of marketing and advertising have influenced him tremendously: “I believe in advertisement and media completely. My art and my personal life are based in it. I think that the art world would probably be a tremendous reservoir for everybody involved in advertising. Whatever your beliefs about how future generations will perceive Koons’s work, the sense that he has captured and articulated something vital and significant is undeniable.

Ahem!....."ultimately populist and meaningless"?? Now that remark raises my hackles!
What is meaningless about something that is "populist"? Populism, as opposed to elitism is what the world needs more of. So there!

And back to #1.....

ALEXANDER CALDER painted the very first Art Car. Sun Cancer close trine Uranus Scorpio. Moon Virgo.




ROY LICHENSTEIN
Sun Scorpio trine Uranus Pisces. Moon Taurus or Gemini


ANDY WARHOL Sun Leo trine Uranus/Moon in Aries.


DAVID HOCKNEY
Sun Cancer sextile Uranus Taurus. Moon Cancer or Leo

Arty-Farty Friday ~ Alexander Calder

Last week's look at San Base, an artist who combined his art with modern technology to produce moving pieces of artwork, led me to investigate an earlier pioneer: Alexander Calder. He invented the mobile - the first example of art in motion, but using natural air currents instead of today's technology to provide movement. He said of his work:

"Each element can move, shift or sway back & forth in a changing relation to each of the other elements in the universe. Thus, they reveal not only isolated moments, but a physical law or variation among the elements of life. Not extractions, but abstractions. Abstractions which resemble no living things except by their manner of reacting."

I was reminded of Alexander Calder by an object shown on Antiques Roadshow last week. A woman took a piece of silver jewelry for the experts' assessment. She discovered that it was made by Calder. I don't recall the valuation put on it, but it was surprisingly high for such a small piece.

Calder was a pioneer in his era. As well as mobiles he produced huge and dramatic sheet metal sculpures for public spaces,



tiny pieces of jewellery and objets d'art made from precious metals, as well as more standard forms of abstract painting.
He is said to have been influenced by some of his contemproaries - Joan Miro and Mondrian, using the inspiration he gained from their work to bring forth a kind of "spin-off" -literally.

Born into a family of artists, Calder showed early aptitude for sculpture, but chose to study engineering.

"Despite his talents, Calder did not originally set out to become an artist. He instead enrolled at the Stevens Institute of Technology after high school and graduated in 1919 with an engineering degree. Calder worked for several years after graduation at various jobs, including as a hydraulics engineer and automotive engineer, timekeeper in a logging camp, and fireman in a ship's boiler room. While serving in the latter occupation, on a ship from New York bound for San Francisco, Calder awoke on the deck to see both a brilliant sunrise and a scintillating full moon; each was visible on opposite horizons (the ship then lay off the Guatemalan coast). The experience made a lasting impression on Calder: he would refer to it throughout his life.
Calder committed to becoming an artist shortly thereafter, and in 1923 he moved to New York and enrolled at the Art Students League. "

Before I looked at Calder's natal chart I decided there would have to be a goodly dose of Air in it - to account for his being drawn to produce artwork relying on air for its display. His inventive and futuristic style seemed to say Aquarius - or a strongly aspected Uranus. There'd also be some close Saturn connection to account for his choice to study engineering - not the obvious choice for someone with the soul of an artist. Let's see!




Born on 22 July 1898 in Lawnton, PA. I can find no note of his time of birth, so the chart shown is set for mid-day. Ascendant and exact Moon degree will not be accurate.

Well - no Aquarius but a nice close trine between Uranus in Scorpio and Cancer Sun, both at 29 degrees. And three planets in Airy Gemini, with Jupiter in Libra makes Air the dominant element in his chart. Saturn, which connects to metals and engineering is out of sign but conjunct Uranus, so also trines his natal Sun. The Moon would remain in Virgo with Venus whatever his time of birth - Virgo's insistence on attention to detail and exactness would be an important component in his ability to produce the kinetic artwork he's famous for.

“To an engineer, good enough means perfect. With an artist, there's no such thing as perfect.”

“The underlying sense of form in my work has been the system of the Universe, or part thereof. For that is a rather large model to work from.”

Finally, one to appeal to the astrologer in us all "Spheres Within a Sphere"




Alexander Calder died in 1976. More biography here.