Calder: The Conquest of Space

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The concluding volume of this authorized biography details the later years of one of the most significant sculptors of the 20th century. It begins during World War II, when Calder, affectionately known as Sandy, and his wife, Louisa, welcomed exiled artists and writers into their home. In the postwar years, they split their time between the U.S. and France, as Sandy created monumental public sculptures and received major commissions, including those for Expo '67 in Montreal and the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. The author, Jed Perl, highlights how Sandy's innovative sculptural vision influenced the minimalist and kinetic art movements of the 1960s. Throughout their lives, Sandy and Louisa maintained their vibrant, bohemian lifestyle, fostering friendships with a diverse array of artists and writers, advocating for peace during the Vietnam War, and hosting lively gatherings at their Connecticut home. The biography culminates with Sandy's passing in 1976, shortly after a major retrospective of his work opened at the Whitney Museum in New York, offering readers a deeper understanding of both the artist and the man.