Miami— April 1, 2021— “Twentieth-century art was a radically new endeavor, a total revision of acquired values and an effort to base the visual arts on revolutionary principles. Over the years this endeavor showed an increasing audacity.” —Rene Huyghe

Tresart Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of works on paper by two giants of modern art: Alexander Calder and Wifredo Lam. These two modern masters were united by the audacity and influence of their ideas, their connection to surrealist circles, their common participation in seminal international projects, and a friendship that lasted decades and has been documented by a multitude of letters.

Alexander Calder (American, 1898-1976) is one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century and remembered for his innovative mobiles (kinetic sculptures powered by motors or air currents) that embrace chance in their aesthetic, and his static monumental public sculptures called “stabiles.” He didn’t limit his art to sculptures; he also created paintings, jewelry, theatre sets, and costumes.

A pivotal figure of modern art, Wifredo Lam (Cuban, 1902 – 1982) was the son of a Chinese father and an Afro-Cuban mother of Spanish descent. In his work, he combined elements of his Afro-Caribbean heritage, academic training in Spain, exposure to avant-garde art in Europe, and abiding interest in African cultures throughout his oeuvre. During his long career, his work poetically addressed themes of social injustice, nature, and spirituality that challenged prevailing attitudes held by Western artists about other cultures.

The exhibition Calder/Lam: Works on Paper on view until May 2, 2021, brings together works from the 1950s and 1960s, and reveals the mastery of these two important figures of modernism through their use of paper as a means of expression, a medium that became instrumental to their practices. Within their very distinct styles, both artists were prolific in their use of paper as support for their drawings and paintings. The works in this exhibition show the unique visions of these great innovators and reaffirm the revolutionary contributions of two artists who continue to challenge our conceptions of the world.

You may visit Calder/Lam: Works on Paper by scheduling an appointment as well as in our online viewing room in Artsy by clicking here. For inquiries about works by Calder, Lam and other modern masters, click here.

Photo: Calder/Lam: Works on paper, Tresart, 2021