Kinetic sculpture: A moving form of three-dimensional art

Harry Bertoia (1915-1978), The Willow, 68in highon 12-inch-square base. Sold by Palm Beach Modern Auctions on Nov. 24, 2018 for $57,200 + buyer’s premium. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers and Palm Beach Modern Auctions

NEW YORK — Alexander Calder became synonymous with kinetic sculptures when he began crafting his mobiles in the 1930s, but he was not the first to create these moving works of art. Vladimir Tatlin and Alexander Rodchenko, among others, explored the form’s possibilities before Calder entered the picture. Stemming from the Greek word kinetikos, which means “of motion,” kinetic sculptures are three-dimensional works made with a wide range of techniques and materials. The key detail they share in common is that they move.

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