230

Alexander Calder

1898-1976

"Beastie" from the "Flying Colors" suite, 1974-75

Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
From the edition of 250
Initialed and dated in the stone lower right: AC; with the Flying Colors Collection blindstamp lower right; State Street, New York, for Braniff International Airlines, pub.; inscribed in black ink with a doodle of the world love and a bottle above the figure
Image/Sheet: 20" H x 26" W

  • Provenance: The Artist
    The Estate of John McKaughan Jr., Art Director of Braniff International Airways from 1955-1982, gift from the above
  • Notes: This lithograph has a black ink hand-drawn bottle with a heart label along the back of the printed image, and in the hand of the artist.
    John McKaughan Jr. had brought this lithograph to Calder after they had made many reproductions for the Flying Colors campaign. Upon sharing a bottle of wine, Calder drew the bottle along the back of "Beastie" and regifted the piece back to McKaughan Jr.

    A multidisciplinary modern artist, Alexander Calder (1898-1976) is most notably known for his kinetic sculptures or mobiles often made with bright colors and whimsical shapes. Calder had a creative outlet early in life, being born into a family of artists, he created small sculptures as early as eight years old and would even have his own workshop growing up. Years later he would go on to earn a mechanical engineering degree from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1919. When he returned to an artistic profession after graduating, this degree would prove valuable as he created his uniquely engineered sculptures later in life.

    In 1926, Calder moved to Paris and began working more diligently with wire, creating a large body of work known as "Cirque Calder," an assemblage that included miniature performers, animals, and props. Calder would put on performances of his hand-crafted circus in both Paris and New York. He would go on to split his time between France and the United States by 1950, finding continued artistic success in both countries and connecting with other well-known artists such as Joan Miró, Fernand Léger, and Marcel Duchamp who coined the phrase "Mobile" for Calder's kinetic sculptures, referring to the French word "mobile" meaning motion or active.

    With his work shown around the world, and having created paintings and sculptures on a grand scale, Calder was pitched the idea of collaborating with Braniff International Airways to paint one of their DC-8 jetliners, as well as 50 gouaches for a series known as "Flying Colors." It was in 1973 when their collaboration began, and it was not the first time Braniff had worked with a renowned artist, having already bridged the gap between design, fashion, and aviation, as they worked with fashion designer and printmaker Emilio Pucci. Starting in 1965 through 1974, Pucci designed six collections of designer uniforms for Braniff's stewardesses and airline personnel.

    "Flying Colors" was aimed to commemorate an expansion of Braniff flights from the United States to South America. Throughout this process, Calder worked closely with Braniff Art Director, John McKaughan Jr., who this collection comes from. McKaughan traveled extensively to Latin America, and Calder himself used colors that he found most striking during his trips to South America as an influence for the color palette used on the plane. In addition, Calder himself added unique figures and "beasties" to the engine nacelles, which these designs were used to create the "Flying Colors" suite, a collection of lithographs that is rarely found to contain all six original designs.

    The "Flying Colors" Series extended beyond the Braniff tarmac. Calder made several fiberglass models with various hand-painted designs, which were then used for the final design of the DC-8 plane. In the Fall of 1973, five of these models were displayed at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, they were installed hanging to appear floating around the rotunda of the museum.

    In 1975, after the success of the Flying Colors campaign, Alexander Calder and Braniff Airways collaborated once again for the "Flying Colors of the United States." This time, the designs commemorated the Bicentennial of the United States, with more U.S.-centric colors of red, white, and blue painted in ribbon-like strokes across a Boeing 727-200. More lithographs and gouaches arose from this series, with unique works and test designs included in the McKaughan collection.

    Alexander Calder passed away the following year, in 1976, making his collaboration with Braniff Airways a large milestone and emphatic exclamation point at the end of his career.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU0msfZRC8A
  • Condition: Overall good condition. The full sheet. Pale-light staining throughout, with some areas of uneven and darker light-staining in the blank of the upper left and right quadrant. Occasional, soft handling creases scattered primarily in the blank. A thin band of surface skinning along the verso of the upper sheet edge, possibly attendant with prior hinging. Minor offset on the verso of the sheet. The sheet is loose, not matted.

    Unframed


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