Alexander Calder MCA installation underway

"Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art: Form, Balance, Joy," which opens at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) June 26, is one of this summer's hottest tickets. So, I was excited to see the MCA's sneak peeks at the show's installation, above. (Photos by Nathan Keay.)

No, that tree trunk isn't part of a Calder: The exhibition combines the Flamingo creator's works with sculptures by seven contemporary artists who also explore "structure and balance," according to the museum. These photos depict the installation of Jason Middlebrook's mobile From the Forest to the Mill to the Store to the Home to the Streets and Back Again. (The artist created the starburst element during a residency at Hyde Park's Little Black Pearl.) Middlebrook also has a solo show, "Less," on view at Wicker Park's moniquemeloche gallery through July 31.

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Photos: Bekki Y. Wasmuth