The artwork “.125” by Alexander Calder, created in 1975, is an example of Kinetic Art and Expressionism, characterized as a sculpture or mobile. This piece displays Calder’s quintessential style, integrating motion and delicate balance within an architectural space.
The mobile in the image is a large-scale, hanging sculpture dominantly displayed in an airy, public space with expansive windows that both illuminate and provide a view to the outside. Its components are composed of slender, black, and metal rods connected in a branching structure, from which abstract shapes predominantly in black, with some in red, are suspended. These shapes vary in size and form, but they share a sense of fluid, organic design. The composition balances gracefully, designed to move gently with ambient air currents, creating a dynamic interaction with the viewers and the encompassing space.
The linear elements and the sparseness of the color against the monochromatic backdrop of the location accentuate the artwork’s playful geometry and the shadows it casts, contributing to the sense that the piece is an integral part of its environment—a hallmark of Calder’s site-specific intentions for his mobiles. The people visible in the image provide a sense of scale, illustrating the impressive size of the artwork and its prominence within the space it occupies.
