Name ____________________ Class __________

COMPREHENSION QUIZ: Alexander Calder

Use the March/April 2016 issue of Scholastic Art to answer the questions. Fill in the circle next to the best
selection/correct choice.

1. Alexander Calder created _____ toys with 6. Calder designed his jewelry in ______ shapes,
pull strings, levers, and gears. (pages 4-5) such as leaves and flowers. (pages 8-9)
A found A muddled
B mechanical B organic

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C material C geometric
D digital D found

2. Cirque Calder, presented in front of live 7. Calder created _______ that recall shapes from
audiences, is an example of _______. (pages 4-5) the natural world, such as the carved shapes and
A abstract art thin lines in Constellation With Two Pins. (pages 8-9)
B Impressionist art A caricatures
C performance art B found objects
D site-specific art C realistic sculptures
D abstract sculptures
3. Calder _____ his mobiles from
above. (pages 6-7) 8. As a _____ work, Impatient Optimist responds
A suspended to the particular lights, colors, and architecture
B viewed that surround it. (pages 10-11)
C juggled A site-specific
D sculpted B mechanical
C suspended
4. Spinning freely and constantly moving, D monumental
Calder’s mobiles are _____. (pages 6-7)
A realistic 9. People wear Nick Cave’s Soundsuits
B stabile in live performances, but the sculptures can also
C static be shown on ______ display, with mannequins
D kinetic inside. (pages 10-11)
A human
5. The Eagle is _______, so viewers can move B illuminated
around and under the work, experiencing it C static
from many different angles. (pages 6-7) D organic
A a line drawing
B mechanical 10. In Porsche With Meteorite, Chris Burden used a
C monumental _____ to balance two unusual objects. (pages 10-11)
D on a human scale A wire
B fulcrum
C technique
D mobile

MARCH/APRIL 2016/SKILLS SHEET

 Name ____________________ Class __________

DEBATE: Tiny Toys, Big Uproar

Which side of the debate are you on? Use the boxes below to organize your thoughts about the
debate in the March/April 2016 issue of Scholastic Art.

Part I:
What is the LEGO Group’s reasoning for refusing Ai’s order?

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__________________________________________________________________________________________

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Part II:
Why does Ai view the LEGO Group’s refusal as censorship?

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Part III:
Should artists be allowed to use or depict consumer products in their artworks?
Why or why not? Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

MARCH/APRIL 2016/SKILLS SHEET

 Name ____________________ Class __________

READING REVIEW: Alexander Calder

Use the March/April 2016 issue of Scholastic Art to answer the questions.
Write your answers in complete sentences on a separate sheet of paper.

1. How did Alexander Calder capture the “essence” of each performer in Cirque Calder? (pages 4-5)

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2. What inspired Calder’s interest in exploring abstract art, and why? (pages 6-7)

3. What makes Lobster Trap and Fish Tail a kinetic sculpture? (pages 6-7)

4. How do Calder’s standing mobiles incorporate elements of both mobiles and stabiles? (pages 6-7)

5. What techniques did Calder use to create Medusa? (pages 8-9)

6. Why did Calder often use the color red in his public artworks? (pages 8-9)

7. How does Calder present an abstract interpretation of nature in

Constellation With Two Pins? (pages 8-9)

8. In what ways does Janet Echelman’s Impatient Optimist interact with the
surrounding space? (pages 10-11)

9. How does the display of Nick Cave’s Soundsuit convey potential motion? (pages 10-11)

10. How does Chris Burden use balance and suspension in Porsche With Meteorite? (pages 10-11)

MARCH/APRIL 2016/SKILLS SHEET

 Name ____________________ Class __________
SKETCHBOOK STARTERS:
Alexander Calder
Choose at least four sketchbook prompts from the list below. Cut them out and glue each
to the top of a separate page in your sketchbook. Then make a drawing for each, following
the instructions. Use the March/April 2016 issue of Scholastic Art for inspiration.

What was the last live performance you saw? Maybe it was a play, a concert, or even a sports

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event. Sketch a design for an animated sculpture version of the performance. Include diagrams
of each of the figures. Don’t forget the technical elements, like strings, levers, and gears.

Gather found materials from around your classroom. Sculpt a small toy using these materials.
Photograph the toy from several angles and glue the photos into your sketchbook.

Make a sketch using abstract shapes to represent your favorite animal.

Draw a design for an original hanging mobile. Remember to think about how you’d balance
the suspended shapes and how they would move.

Draw a design for a stabile. Think about how viewers will move around your sculpture.
This will help you design a dynamic stabile that uses the space it inhabits. How will the shape
of the stabile seem to change as the viewer walks around it?

Use a single line to sketch a caricature of your favorite character from a TV show or movie.
How can you emphasize the character’s facial features?

Make a sketch of Calder’s Flamingo on page 8. Use markers to experiment by coloring the
sculpture with a secondary color and the background with a primary color. Make a few more
sketches and try several different color combinations.

Draw a design for a piece of jewelry or another accessory using organic shapes.

Design a sculpture for a space at your school. The sculpture should draw viewers’ attention to
the surrounding building. How would your sculpture respond to its environment?

Sketch a design for an original Soundsuit made with found objects. Be sure to think about
the sounds it would make when it moves.

MARCH/APRIL 2016/SKILLS SHEET

 Name ____________________ Class __________

TAKE NOTES: Alexander Calder

Use the March/April 2016 issue of Scholastic Art to take notes about the artworks below.

ARTIST ARTWORK NOTES

Alexander Calder Cirque Calder

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Alexander Calder Lobster Trap and Fish Tail

Alexander Calder Untitled (page 7)

Alexander Calder The Eagle

Alexander Calder Medusa

Alexander Calder Flamingo

Alexander Calder Flower Necklace

Alexander Calder Constellation With Two Pins

Alexander Calder Untitled (page 9)

Janet Echelman Impatient Optimist

Nick Cave Soundsuit

Chris Burden Porsche With Meteorite

MARCH/APRIL 2016/SKILLS SHEET

 Name ____________________ Class __________

VOCABULARY: Alexander Calder

abstract
depicting real forms in a simplified way, nonfigurative

animate to make something appear to move or come alive

assemble to attach materials to one another
balanced stable; having an equal arrangement of elements such as lines,

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color, and shapes

counterbalance
to oppose with equal weight

found materials materials not normally found in art

found objects items not normally found in art
fulcrum
a support or lever

hanging mobile a work of art suspended or hung from above

kinetic relating to movement
mechanical having elements of machinery, such as strings, levers, or gears
monumental larger than life
negative space the area surrounding the solid material in a work of art
organic shapes forms that have a natural shape, with curved,
less-defined edges

performance art a type of art that is performed or presented in front of an audience by

the artist

planes flat surfaces in an artwork

realistic lifelike
site-specific artwork created to exist in a particular place
stabile a sculpture or construction that is stable, not moving
standing mobile a work of art with suspended objects, placed firmly
on a flat surface

static unmoving, showing little energy

suspended hung so that all sides are free except at the point of support

MARCH/APRIL 2016/SKILLS SHEET

 Name ____________________ Class __________

VISUAL VOCABULARY: Alexander Calder

In each box below, sketch an original design for the type of sculpture indicated. Pay close attention
to balance. How would your sculpture interact with its environment? How would viewers engage with
your work? Use your March/April 2016 issue of Scholastic Art for inspiration.

HANGING MOBILE STANDING MOBILE

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STABILE

MARCH/APRIL 2016/SKILLS SHEET