Question 1

True or false: Calder’s largest sculpture, 'Flamingo,' is made of painted steel and stands in Chicago.

Accepted Answer

True. Unveiled in 1974, this 53-foot-tall red stabile in Federal Plaza is one of his most iconic public works, blending engineering with bold form.

Question 2

True or false: Alexander Calder invented the mobile as a form of kinetic sculpture.

Accepted Answer

True. Calder pioneered mobiles—abstract, moving sculptures—with his first true mobile in 1931, revolutionizing modern art by incorporating motion.

Question 3

True or false: Calder originally trained as a mechanical engineer before becoming an artist.

Accepted Answer

True. He earned an engineering degree from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1919, which later informed his precise, balanced sculpture designs.

Question 4

True or false: Calder never worked with color, preferring only black and white for all his mobiles.

Accepted Answer

False. Calder loved bold primary colors—red, yellow, blue—often painting his mobiles and stabiles in vibrant hues, not just monochrome.

Question 5

True or false: Calder’s parents were both famous painters who discouraged his artistic career.

Accepted Answer

False. His father was a sculptor, mother a painter, but they actually supported his art; he studied engineering before turning to sculpture.

Question 6

True or false: Calder created a miniature circus with wire figures that he performed for friends.

Accepted Answer

True. His "Cirque Calder" featured tiny wire acrobats and animals, which he animated for audiences in the 1920s—a quirky, playful start to his career.

Question 7

True or false: Calder’s mobiles were inspired by the solar system and planetary motion.

Accepted Answer

True. He cited the universe as influence, saying his mobiles mirrored celestial bodies’ orbits, though he abstracted these into balanced, hanging forms.

Question 8

True or false: Calder’s stabiles are named for their ability to stab the viewer with sharp edges.

Accepted Answer

False. "Stabile" is just a term for his stationary sculptures, coined by Jean Arp to contrast with mobile; they aren't designed to be dangerous.

Alexander Calder Trivia Questions