“The Nature of Movement,” the Alexander Calder exhibition at Selby Gardens, is both a tribute to the artist’s groundbreaking work and an expansion on his vision.
Look up as you approach the visitor’s entry and take in the giant moving mobile of epiphytes created by the Selby staff as a horticultural representation of Calder’s most famous art form. (They admit it took several tries to get the moving parts to balance and move with the breezes.)
In the greenhouse conservatory, you’ll find a half dozen “vignettes” that both echo and expand on Calder’s work, incorporating natural rock, heavy gauge steel wire, water elements and plants selected for their colors, sizes and shapes, from orchids to bonsai. One even includes red goldfish as moving accents. (A soundtrack of John Cage music that plays in the background is the perfect accompaniment.)…