2col (CA3546 at left, A3098 at right)

Shown at left is Alexander Calder’s “Tower,” 1938–40, painted metal and wood, 32 by 19½ by 29 inches. At right is Fausto Melotti’s “Contrappunto libero,” 1972, copper, 845/8  by 1911/16  inches.

FOR 10/26

‘CALDER/MELOTTI’ WILL OPEN AT BARBARA MATHES NOV. 1 w/1 cut

avv/gs set 10/17 #716148

NEW YORK CITY — Barbara Mathes Gallery will present the exhibition “Calder/ Melotti: Lyrical Constructions,” on view November 1–December 22. The show will feature sculpture and works on paper by Alexander Calder and Fausto Melotti, two artists never previously shown together in an exhibition setting.

Though divided by geography, the American Calder and Italian Melotti produced bodies of work that exhibit a high degree of resonance and mutual sympathy. These artists achieved a balance of technical rigor and whimsical levity, instilling a lyrical expressiveness into the often stolid medium of constructed metal sculpture.

Substantiating this shared sensibility are a number of biographical and historical similarities that unite Calder and Melotti as representatives of a distinct tradition in modernist sculpture. Both trained in engineering before turning to art. Both were also interested in music and dance. Melotti trained as a classical pianist and often discussed his works in musical terms. Calder collaborated with some of the most important composers and choreographers of his era, including Erik Satie and Martha Graham.

Calder and Melotti also proved adept at balancing opposing forces when it came to their experiences with modern art. Both drew freely from the formal insights of the Surrealists and the International Constructivists. While today these movements tend to be considered hostile to one another, Calder and Melotti were not dogmatic in their affiliations and felt at liberty to combine elements of the two in the interest of advancing their own vision.

For example, it is not uncommon to find them populating the Constructivist grid with the biomorphic forms of Surrealism. These are artists who resist easy categorization and refuse to be pigeonholed.

An illuminating pairing of two of these artists’ major sculptures — Calder’s “Tower” of 1930–40 and Melotti’s “Contrappunto Libero” of 1972 — anchors this exhibition. Both works consists of small, playful sculptural elements suspended in an ordered, architectural scaffolding. The resonance between these two works amounts to a statement of shared artistic concerns and frames the aesthetic dialogue that transpires throughout the show.

Other works on view by Melotti include brass and copper sculptures from the 1960s and 1970s, when he definitively established his reputation as one of Italy’s premier modern sculptors. Additional works by Calder capture the full variety of his practice, with stabiles and hanging and standing mobiles all represented.

A selection of works on paper, including drawings and gouaches, demonstrates the importance of two-dimensional mediums to both sculptors.

Barbara Mathes Gallery is at 22 East 80th Street. For information, 212-570-4190 or www.bmathesgallery.com.