The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) has opened "Monochrome: Calder and Tara Donovan," a new exhibition in its Calder at SAM series that pairs two matte-black Alexander Calder sculptures with works by Brooklyn-based artist Tara Donovan. Curated by Donovan alongside SAM curator Catharina Manchanda, the show uses black as its sole color to highlight materials, texture, and form. Highlights include Calder's 1949 mobile "Jacaranda" and 1976 maquette "Mountains (1:5 intermediate maquette)," juxtaposed with Donovan's sculptures made from industrial materials like plastic stir sticks, slinkys, tar paper, and mylar. The exhibition runs through January 17, 2027.
This exhibition matters because it offers a fresh, monochromatic perspective on Calder, an artist best known for colorful mobiles, while creating a dialogue with a contemporary artist who transforms everyday materials into organic, light-responsive forms. The show is the third installment of SAM's Calder at SAM series, made possible by a donation from the Shirley Family, and underscores the museum's commitment to innovative pairings that challenge viewers' perceptions of scale, movement, and materiality. It also arrives as SAM workers have announced unionization efforts, adding a layer of institutional context.