Big Red Thing is a public archive site created by the art historian Jennifer Geigel Mikulay to collect memories, artifacts, and responses related to La Grande Vitesse, the giant Alexander Calder sculpture that became a civic icon for Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1969.
To illustrate her history of the sculpture in the academic journal Public Art Dialogue, she included some concept drawings by Steve Biel based on folks' contributions, including this one, the idea of turning the stabile into a rocking horse.
That this happens just up the road from Zeeland, MI, where Gloria Caranica's Rocking Beauty was recently knocked off as the Red Ball Rocker is just icing on the knockoff cake. In this case, I heartily approve.
Another Look At La Grande Vitesse [public art dialogue at informaworld.com]
Previously: mid-century family modernism, climbing on the Noyes's Calder
