Alexander Calder: Multum in Parvo at Dominique Lévy

Imagine a vast empty space on which straight lines, triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons, and other figures, instead of remaining fixed in their places, move freely about, on or in the surface.

As the creative ego of contemporary artists grows more and more on a monumental scale, Dominique Lévy’s exhibition in Manhattan Alexander Calder: Multum in Parvo pays homage to the power of small details. Featuring over 40 rare miniature works of the late American master, the showcase takes its title from an ancient Latin way of saying that means “much in little“. Presented within an environment conceived by internationally renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, Calder’s mobiles and stabiles have an outstanding impact despite their tiny proportions. Though many of the pieces on view were created as models for larger sculptures, each of them has been carefully conceived and constructed. The gaze of the spectator experiences the space’s liberating whiteness, gracefully interrupted by the bursts of primary colors of Calder’s fine works. The smallest features and physical properties of the sculptures are wonderfully highlighted through a smart game of mirrors. This surreal realm of minuscule wonders evokes surreal atmospheres in which geometric figures are moving and alive, like in Edwin A. Abbott’s novella Flatland.

 

  • Alexander Calder: Multum in Parvo at Dominique Lévy

    Article by
    Cecilia Musmeci

    Published

    Photography

    Vassili di Napoli

    Information

    Dominique Lévy
    April 22 – June 13, 2015
    909 Madison Avenue
    New York, NY 10021

     

    Special Thanks

    Vassili di Napoli