Google is celebrating the birthday of American sculptor Alexander Calder with a home page doodle reflecting his work.
Google’s colourful doodle is of a mobile – a Calder invention – that can be “touched” and spun around on screen on certain browsers.
The virtual mobile yields to peoples' desire to touch the things they shouldn't in art galleries
People using a laptop or tablet with an accelerometer can simply tilt their machine and watch as the "whimsical metal forest" of shapes and abstractions drifts gently around on its own.
A mobile is a type of sculpture that uses the principle of equilibrium, with rods from which weighted objects hang.
Calder, who would have turned 113 today, is regarded as one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century.
Born on July 22 1898 in Pennsylvania, he began his career making toys in Paris.
Calder later worked in wire creating elaborate sculptures and many of his larger works were displayed in prominent public places.
He died in 1978 aged 76 in New York.
Google regularly replaces its corporate logo with so called Google doodles which celebrate special occasions.
Recently the search engine celebrated music legend Les Paul’s birthday by featured an animated guitar, which could be strummed.
Google also marked the 30th anniversary of the arcade game Pac Man by hosting a playable game on its homepage.
A visual recap of doodles that have appeared on Google's home page in countries all over the world can be found at http://www.google.com/logos/index.html.
