Alexander Calder: HyperMobility at the Whitney Inspires Art & Fashion

Tara4779 designer Tara Elwin wears Arc Sapphire Ring inspired by Calder's Mobiles

One of the most influential American sculptors, Alexander Calder, changed the art world in the 1930s when he shifted from creating static works of sculpture to creating sculpture in motion, donned “mobiles”. He relied on small machinery and the simple movement of air to give his sculptures motion, creating them out of sheets of metal and wiring, and stuck to a color pallette of black, white, and primary colors, except at the end of his career when he began working with green. Of the 22,000 works he created, in all different mediums (from bronze sculpture to painting and jewelry), his mobiles are considered to be the most influential.

"For me, it started with Calder's Snow Flurry, 1948. I created a mobile and attached a dangling diamond. Then I explored using gems like rubies, sapphires and emeralds as a nod to the colors Calder used in his work."

That is the focus of “Calder: Hypermobility”, an exhibition on display at the Whitney Museum this fall from June 9th to October 23rd. Calder launched kinetic art, a precursor for modern immersive artwork of both motion and multimedia. Featured not only are some of Calder’s key works, but contemporary creations by modern artists inspired by his works.

Touring "Calder: Hypermobility”, on exhibition at the Whitney Museum with Tara Elwin

Calder continues to influence creatives today, not only in the art world but also in fashion. New York based jewelry designer Tara Elwin behind the label, TARA4799, is one of them. Tara’s “Arc” collection available online through Uncoverd, is a minimalist collection of hand sculpted 14K gold earrings, rings, and chokers with single dangling gems--diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds--pulled from Calder’s pallette that move and glint as you do. As we walk through the exhibit and arrive at Blizzard (Roxbury Flurry), 1946 Tara turns and says: "For me, it started with Calder's Snow Flurry, 1948. I created a mobile and attached a dangling diamond. Then I explored using gems like rubies, sapphires and emeralds as a nod to the colors Calder used in his work." The Blizzard (Roxbury Flurry), 1946 bears a striking resemblance to Snow Flurry.

  Blizzard (Roxbury Flurry), 1946

Shop the full range of TARA4799’s functional, minimalist jewelry that doubles as artwork all hand made in New York with ethically and environmentally conscious materials.

Before your visit to The Whitney’s Hypermobility exhibition for the rare chance to see several of the artist's works as he intended, in motion, and accompanying performances this fall, slip on TARA4799’s wearable art. And as you walk alongside the very works that inspired the Arc collection, available here on our website recognize the elegant, revolutionary piece of history you carry with you.

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Shop Entire Arc Collection

How does art you see and wear inspire you?

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