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Alexander Calder — The Red Rocker
Alexander Calder — The Red Rocker
Alexander Calder

The Red Rocker

1951

This kinetic sculpture combines sheet metal, wire, and paint to create a dynamic composition of sweeping curves and angular forms. The work features a bold red metal armature with organic, flowing lines that suggest movement and balance. A delicate wire loop suspended within the larger form provides visual contrast and creates depth through its transparent quality. The sculpture's abstract form evokes both mechanical precision and natural, biomorphic shapes, characteristic of mid twentieth century modernist experimentation.

Medium
sheet metal, wire and paint
Overall

Notes

Contemporary Day Auction, Sotheby's, sale on 2026-05-15.

🔨 Auction Lot

Contemporary Day Auction

May 15, 2026

Estimate: $400,000$600,000

For Sale

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About this work

Alexander Calder, The Red Rocker, 1951

This kinetic sculpture combines sheet metal, wire, and paint to create a dynamic composition of sweeping curves and angular forms. The work features a bold red metal armature with organic, flowing lines that suggest movement and balance. A delicate wire loop suspended within the larger form provides visual contrast and creates depth through its transparent quality. The sculpture's abstract form evokes both mechanical precision and natural, biomorphic shapes, characteristic of mid twentieth century modernist experimentation.

Medium
sheet metal, wire and paint
Dimensions
overall: 27.3 x 36.2 x 26.7 cm
Year
1951
Seen at
Sotheby's, New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris

Related themes

Wire Construction, Geometric Forms, Sheet Metal, Kinetic Art, Artistic Movement, Three Dimensional Art, Constructivist Influence, American Modernism, Mixed Media, Post War Art, Spatial Art, Balanced Composition, Contemporary Sculpture, Metal Fabrication, Minimalist Aesthetics, Abstract Sculpture, Modernist Design, Organic Lines, Red Metal, Mid-Century Art

More works by Alexander Calder

Collected by

Alex Capecelatro, Sebastián In Situ, Jonathan Murray, Hamilton Selway Gallery