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The mobile is a truly 20th-century art form which can be appreciated not only in the world's major museums, but also in your own studio. By incorporating principals of mechanical engineering and sculptural design, mobiles can add new dimensions to your home, studio, or office.

Any discussion of mobiles would be incomplete without examining the career of the form's founder, Alexander Calder 1898-1976. In his youth, Calder proved adept at constructing three-dimensional objects by constructing wire toys for himself and his sister. Upon receiving his degree in mechanical engineering in 1919, Calder decided to apply his childhood passion and his formal training to a career as a professional artist. He attended art classes in New York, and in 1926 moved to Paris, where he received acclaim for putting on small-scale circus performances with human figurines made from wire.

Having achieved his goal of turning drawings into three-dimensional figures while in Paris, Calder then set out to do the same with abstract paintings. It was at this point that he first experimented with the hanging sculptures of wire and metal that were to become his famous mobiles. By suspending the works in mid-air, he discovered that he could add life to the otherwise static sculpture. Though Calder would go on to create more traditional -- albeit abstract -- stationary sculpture ("stabiles"), he will always be best known for the innovative mobile form that he invented.

Having blazed the trail for a new art form, Calder gave way to new generations of mobile designers, who in turn created styles of their own. The fascinating mobiles created by the Flensted family are perfect examples of the beauty and elegance of mobiles to display in your own studio. Enjoy.

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