Henry Moore vs Alexander Calder
Object of my Obsession
Two artists, Henry Moore and Alexander Calder, both very different in the way they grew up, and their life ambitions. However one thing they had in common was that they both ended up becoming fantastic artists later on in life. Their styles of artwork were very different to each others. Moore’s concentrated on sketching and sculptures made of stone, bronze and wood. His artworks are intriguing as they showed the bond between mother and child. An aspect of interest in his work the ‘Family Group’ is that he made the figures quite rounded, and simplified their bodies. Calder’s creations ran along the lines of abstract, twisted pieces of wire, suspended in air and stabiles which were almost like 3D silhouettes. One particular sculpture he created was ‘Josephine Baker’. This was an intriguing creation of his, because it was made of only wire, shaped into the performer’s body.
Henry Moore was raised in a family of eight brothers and sisters. He was born in Yorkshire in 1898. Moore grew up with his father wanting him to become a teacher, however did not close the door on his son becoming an artist, if he wished to do so. At age 19, Moore was conscripted and sent to fight, however returned to England when poisoned with mustard gas on the battlefield. Moore saw the optimism families had after the war, and this was his inspiration for many of his sculptures. Moore sculpted many family groups that portrayed the optimistic atmosphere after the war. They were a symbol of unity and hope for the future. In 1948-9, Moore sculpted ‘Family Group’. Made of bronze, it stands at 152cm high at The Barkley School, Hertfordshire.
Alexander Calder was a different story to Moore. He grew up as the second child to his artist parents; his father a sculptor and his mother a painter. Calder was born in the same year as Moore, in 1898. From a very young age, Calder’s ability to create was apparent; however he did not originally set out to become an artist. He
Two artists, Henry Moore and Alexander Calder, both very different in the way they grew up, and their life ambitions. However one thing they had in common was that they both ended up becoming fantastic artists later on in life. Their styles of artwork were very different to each others. Moore’s concentrated on sketching and sculptures made of stone, bronze and wood. His artworks are intriguing as they showed the bond between mother and child. An aspect of interest in his work the ‘Family Group’ is that he made the figures quite rounded, and simplified their bodies. Calder’s creations ran along the lines of abstract, twisted pieces of wire, suspended in air and stabiles which were almost like 3D silhouettes. One particular sculpture he created was ‘Josephine Baker’. This was an intriguing creation of his, because it was made of only wire, shaped into the performer’s body.
Henry Moore was raised in a family of eight brothers and sisters. He was born in Yorkshire in 1898. Moore grew up with his father wanting him to become a teacher, however did not close the door on his son becoming an artist, if he wished to do so. At age 19, Moore was conscripted and sent to fight, however returned to England when poisoned with mustard gas on the battlefield. Moore saw the optimism families had after the war, and this was his inspiration for many of his sculptures. Moore sculpted many family groups that portrayed the optimistic atmosphere after the war. They were a symbol of unity and hope for the future. In 1948-9, Moore sculpted ‘Family Group’. Made of bronze, it stands at 152cm high at The Barkley School, Hertfordshire.
Alexander Calder was a different story to Moore. He grew up as the second child to his artist parents; his father a sculptor and his mother a painter. Calder was born in the same year as Moore, in 1898. From a very young age, Calder’s ability to create was apparent; however he did not originally set out to become an artist. He