Caro, Sir Anthony (1924-2013), was a leading English sculptor known for his large abstract works. Caro worked in a variety of materials, notably rusted steel, varnished steel, bronze, ceramics, wood, and Lucite.
Caro departed from tradition by creating many of his sculptures to sit directly on the ground rather than on pedestals. A number of his works were created to stand outdoors, such as Ordnance (1971) and Goodwood Steps (1996).
Caro’s first notable works were made of metal plates, aluminum tubing, and pieces of scrap metal. He welded or bolted these materials together and painted many of them in a single strong color, such as the bright red of Early One Morning (1962). In the 1970’s, Caro’s sculpture became rougher and even larger. His National Gallery Ledge Piece (1978), an enormous arrangement of welded steel, spills over a high stone shelf in the atrium of the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The National Gallery commissioned Caro to design the piece.
During the 1980’s, Caro’s work returned to a smaller scale, and he began using more traditional materials, such as bronze. He also created works showing the human figure.
In addition to his large works, Caro made many small-scale tabletop sculptures meant to be seen from above. During his career, he made a series of seven abstract sculptures he called Duccio Variations. Caro was a co-designer of the Millennium Bridge over the River Thames in London, which was completed in 2000.
Anthony Alfred Caro was born on March 8, 1924, in New Malden in Surrey. From 1947 to 1952, he studied sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools in London. He was an assistant to the famous English sculptor Henry Moore from 1951 to 1953. In 1959, Caro traveled to the United States, where he met several American artists, including sculptor David Smith, who had a major influence on Caro’s style (see Smith, David ).
Caro first gained recognition with a one-man show at the Whitechapel Gallery in London in 1963. Caro taught part-time at the St. Martin’s School of Art in London from 1953 to 1979, where he influenced an entire generation of British sculptors. Caro was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1987. He died on Oct. 23, 2013.
