The Art of Play: How Calder’s Circus Inspires Creativity

The Art of Play: How Calder’s Circus Inspires Creativity spotlights Portland artist Souther Salazar and his profound admiration for Alexander Calder's Cirque Calder, a groundbreaking fusion of sculpture, storytelling, and performance art.

In 1926, Alexander Calder moved to Paris, where he crafted his legendary "Cirque Calder"—an intricate assemblage of wire, leather, cloth, and found materials that captured the playful, imaginative spirit of the circus. His early work as an illustrator for the National Police Gazette, covering the Barnum & Bailey Circus, undoubtedly shaped his artistic vision.

Calder's performances with Cirque Calder were ahead of their time, laying the foundation for performance art decades before the movement took hold. His ability to turn discarded materials into whimsical, kinetic masterpieces has inspired generations of artists, including Souther Salazar.

🔹 Souther Salazar: A Modern Visionary 🔹
Building upon the found object tradition, Salazar layers his canvases with textured ephemera—pages from books, comics, and newspapers—evoking themes of childhood wonder and nostalgia. His work draws from both real places and imagined worlds, creating a harmonious balance between humans, animals, and nature.

✨ In his own words:
"It's everything at once. There are references to real cities, real places I have been and know. And then there are points where it diverges into places in my mind. I try to build worlds that allow multiple points of view, where I can remember and imagine at the same time." – Souther Salazar

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