Olympic Sculpture Park - Eagle

Visiting the Park

Six tons of twisted red steel, this Alexander Calder sculpture is the centerpiece of the new SAM Olympic Sculpture Park. The curved metal rises over thirty feet into the air, this simple collection of bolts and plates was one of Calder’s most notable pieces, famous for its stark simplicity and gentle arcs. One of the masters of modern abstract sculpture, Calder was given the Gold Medal for Sculpture by the American Academy of Arts and Letters in the same year that Eagle was created.

Before venturing into the art world, Calder found employ as a mechanical engineer, and the influence of his previous occupation is rarely more evident than in this particular work, the pride of the Seattle Art Museum Park. Large metal stationary statues such as this Alexander Calder sculpture are called “stabiles” and are the form in which the artist found international renown. Originally displayed in front of the Fort Worth National Bank until 1999, the sculpture was purchased specifically to be showcased in this Seattle Art Museum Park, making news in art reviews and national papers all across the country.

Eagle is perhaps the most significant work displayed at the SAM Olympic Sculpture Park, adding an air of importance to the proceedings that lesser works might not have.