“Woolworth Cow” Eats Wire Grass (Feb, 1931)
Filed under: DIY — @ 10:23 pm
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Feb, 1931
| Buy on Ebay
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Feb, 1931
| Buy on Ebay
“Woolworth Cow” Eats Wire Grass
ALEXANDER CALDER, New York sculptor and artist, recently gave an exhibition of his work at the Fifty-sixth Street Galleries. Although many fine works of art were shown, the amusing toy novelties of this versatile craftsman attracted the largest share of attention.
Using scraps that may be picked up around any home and every day articles purchased from the five and ten cents stores, Calder constructed many startling novelties. The “Wool-worth Cow” shown here was made of a wooden darning egg, a door bumper, coat hangers, bottle tips, rubber tips and wire.
Umm….. The typo in the title is pretty funny, but you might want to consider fixing it.
Comment by Sean O'Brien — September 17, 2008 @ 2:05 am
I was briefly wondering what ‘wife grass’ was, until I saw the actual pic.
Comment by Anne — September 17, 2008 @ 3:37 am
Anne:
That’s kind of embarrassing. I’ll fix it now.
Comment by Charlie — September 17, 2008 @ 9:19 am
I must say… Whatever the title, that ‘cow’ is starting to really creep me out!
Comment by Anne — September 17, 2008 @ 12:10 pm
One can only imagine the artist’s reaction: “Capital! Louisa, tell those prissy Parisians I don’t need their help anymore, for I have received notice in Popular Mechanics!”
Now that I think about it, Calder probably didn’t talk like that. I do wonder what he thought of the write-up, though.
Comment by Kate — September 17, 2008 @ 5:55 pm
I’m surprised the headline doesn’t read “New Trend for Artists — Thousands Begin Making Moo-Art from Household Objects!”
Pleasant surprise to find Calder in Modern Mechanics.
Comment by Torgo — September 17, 2008 @ 7:17 pm
Nineteen thirty-one was just before Calder started making mobiles, I believe.
It was definitely a surprise to see his work here, of all places, though he did do some kinetics that had bicycle cranks and chains and such.
Comment by Toronto — September 17, 2008 @ 7:24 pm
I love Calder. There was a great old short film about “Calder’s Circus,” perhaps it’s been Youtubeized. One of the things I always made sure to see when I went to the MFA in Boston was a Calder cow. That one is all wire (except for the eyes?) and complete with abstract cow pie.
Comment by katey — September 18, 2008 @ 6:33 am