Focus on Mountains and Clouds and analyze the Background.
The Hart Senate Office Building, first occupied in 1982 and named for Michigan Senator Philip A. Hart, broke with tradition. Unlike its predecessors, the Hart Building boasted a contemporary, energy-efficient design that could accommodate a growing number of staff members and various technological innovations. The building's centerpiece is a towering, asymmetrical 90-foot (27 m)-high atrium whose skylight brightens corridors and offices.
While the building was under construction, a panel of curators was charged with identifying potential sculptors and establishing criteria for the commission of a contemporary work to enliven the atrium. Alexander Calder and four other artists were invited to submit proposals. Calder was approached through his dealer, Klaus Perls, on July 29, 1975, just after his 77th birthday. A sketch and a model for Mountains and Clouds were submitted by November and, in April 1976, Calder's innovative design was accepted.
Alexander Calder Klaus Perls Hart Senate Office Building atrium Philip A. Hart Michigan