Calder: An Autobiography with Pictures (1966)

“Born in Philadelphia at the turn of the century, Alexander Calder was the son and grandson of renowned sculptors. Originally trained as an engineer, he turned to art in his twenties. From the early days of his famous wire circus performances all the way into the 1960s, marked by free floating forms of his stabile and mobile sculptures, Calder unfolds the story of his life. With the informality he was loved for, he talks as if he were reminiscing with his friends around a table with a carafe of wine, a loaf of bread, and a cut of cheese in front of them. And like wine, bread, and cheese these memoirs have genuineness, substance, and flavor. Numerous snapshots from his family album, many drawings by himself and his friends, letters, mementos, and a large selection of photographs of his works complete this rare document.” (from the book jacket, edited)

Publisher Pantheon Books, 1966
285 pages

PDF (72 MB, no OCR)

+ Watch Le Cirque de Calder, a film by Carlos Vilardebó, 18 min, 1961, on UbuWeb.