Delve into the universe of Alexander Calder with an enlightening talk by renowned art critic, author, and Calder biographer Jed Perl. Titled Calder's Radical Classicism, Perl's talk will compare Calder's sculptures with older works of art—including the carvings on a medieval cathedral and a Baroque altarpiece—to show how this modern master reenergized sculpture's muscular and visceral powers.

Perl's talk kicks off a weekend of Calder exploration with SAM's Calder Symposium, featuring an entire day of educational programming focused on the Calder's legacy and the artworks on view in Calder: In Motion, The Shirley Family Collection.

Jed Perl is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books. He was the art critic for The New Republic for twenty years and a contributing editor to Vogue for a decade. Among Perl's extensive list of publications are Calder: The Conquest of Time: The Early Years: 1898-1940, Calder: The Conquest of Space: The Later Years: 1940-1976, Magicians and Charlatans, Antoine's Alphabet, and New Art City, which was a New York Times Notable Book and an Atlantic Book of the Year.