Art Mobiles

 


I recently saw this mobile in an issue of House and Garden UK. It brought back a memory of my sister and brother-in-law making mobiles as Christmas gifts many years ago. They were made of drift wood that they collected on the beach.



In 1920 Surrealist artist Man Ray created what is considered to be the first mobile, an assembly of 29 coat hangers


The word "mobile" was first coined by artist Marcel Duchamp in 1931, to describe Alexander Calder's mechanical and floating sculptures. Calder's mobiles were inspired by the abstract work of Piet Mondrian and Joan Miro. 

In 1943 Albert Einstein visited an exhibit of Calder's mobiles and famously said, "I wish I had thought of that." I am trying to wrap my head around someone like Einstein being envious of someone else's ideas. 

In 1957 one of Calder's pieces, called Poisson Volant (Flying Fish) sold for $26 million at Christies in New York. 




Today mobiles are mainly found above baby cribs, but in the 1970s they were handmade and hung as pieces of art in living rooms. Thinking of making one of your own? Here are some links to inspire you and give you some times.

Marco Mahler is a contemporary mobile artist who has instructions about balancing mobiles on his web site. Click here.


You can purchase Clare Young's book with 35 projects here.



A more advanced book for making metal mobiles is by Bruce Cana Fox. This is for the serious artist. Click here to get on Amazon.

If you are searching for inspiration, Pinterest has lots of examples here.

Here are some serious mobile artists...




Here is a video on how to make origami mobiles.

If you don't want to make your own, but would like to have an art mobile, there are a lot for sale on Etsy


Or you can make a mobile with your photographs. This holder is on Amazon.


I would love to have a driftwood and seagrass mobile. There are a lot of hangings with seagrass, but I don't really consider them mobiles unless they require balancing. The one above is from The Rubbish Revival.