Duke in Pictures: New Art at Medicine Pavilion
Alexander Calder created hanging mobile donated by foundation
This hanging mobile created by renowned sculptor Alexander Calder was recently put on display in the Duke Medicine Pavilion concourse after being donated by the Robert and Nettie Benenson Foundation.
The artwork, named "Red Sumac" and created in 1968, is made of painted sheet metal and wire, and measures 31 by 85 by 50 inches. Calder (1898-1976) was among the most celebrated American artists of the 20th century. He is best known as the inventor and master of the mobile, a form of sculpture that incorporates movement into art by slowly swaying, spinning or swinging with the currents of the air.
This isn't the first time a Calder art piece has been displayed at Duke. In 2012, the Nasher Museum of Art presented a collection of 32 master works by Calder.
The Pavilion is acting as a temporary home - the mobile will eventually be displayed permanently in Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center.
Learn more about the mobile display and its donation here.
