American, 1898-1976
Three Bollards (Trois Bollards), 1970 Painted steel, 137 x 114 x 137 in. (348 x 289.6 x 348 cm.)
Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection, Dallas, Texas
1972.A.02
Label Text
Calder's first stabiles - standing, non-kinetic works - date from the 1930s and translate into three-dimensional form the lyrical, biomorphic shapes he loved in the paintings and collages of Joan Miró and Jean Arp. Cut from sheet metal, assembled with rivets or bolts, and frequently painted black, these works reflect Calder's training as an engineer and his interest in technological processes of construction. Three Bollards typifies this genre in its large scale and flat, semi-biological, semi-geometric shapes. It humorously suggests a large animal or sea creature and invites viewers to experience its spatial complexities by walking around and through it. Its title derives from the three knobby protrusions at the top, seen in conjunction with the longer pointed "tail," which resemble bollards, posts for tying up boats at dock.