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Le Tamanoir
Le Tamanoir, fotografie Jannes Linders
The Sculpture
Alexander Calder made Le tamanoir (The Anteater) in 1963.
Since 1965 it has been sited at the corner of the Aveling and the Venkelweg in
Hoogvliet. The sculpture consists of stylised forms cut from steel plates,
attached by enormous bolts to form a monumental spatial construction.
Calder’s first large-scale sculptures were ‘mobiles’, constructions that
could move in the wind. The heavy bases for these mobiles eventually developed
into sculptures in their own right known as ‘stabiles’. Le tamanoir is a
stabile.
Not many people will immediately think of an anteater when they
see this sculpture, but once you know the work’s title then the animal’s
characteristic head, large feet and arched hindquarters become recognisable. The
sculpture does not represent the anteater’s anatomy exactly but in a stylised
manner.
Calder’s construction technique was not traditional within fine
art, but came from his background in mechanical engineering.
Specifications
| nicknames | The Spider |
| date construction | 1963 |
| location since | 1965, Aveling/Venkelweg, Hoogvliet |
| dimensions sculpture (hxwxl) in cm | 320 x 290 x 650 |
| material | Steel, galvanized and painted |
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