Anthony Caro

Key facts

Lived

1924–2013, British^[1]

Movements

• abstract art
• contemporary art

^[1]

Works held in

5 museums

Wikipedia

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• What is Anthony Caro known for?+

  Anthony Caro is known for his welded steel constructions. His work abandoned clay and bronze, instead using I-beams, girders, and sheet metal bolted and welded into horizontal assemblages.
• What is Anthony Caro's most famous work?+

  Anthony Caro is known for his abstract steel sculptures. While it is difficult to name one single "most famous" work, *Early One Morning* (1962^[1]) is among his most recognised. It marked a departure from traditional sculpture. Constructed from bolted steel sheets, I-beams, and tubes, the sculpture is painted a uniform red. This work sits directly on the floor. Its open, horizontal form was a notable change from carved blocks. The lyrical arrangement evokes qualities of abstract painting. The materiality appears deceptively light. Caro's *Midday* (1960) is also a significant work. It represents his breakthrough into a personal style. *Midday* is composed of I-beams and industrial units, painted bright yellow. The horizontal construction moves away from anthropomorphic references. The emphasis is on form and process, the ordering of parts, and the use of colour to achieve synthesis. Caro also worked in series. In 1966, he began a series of table sculptures. David Smith inspired this experimentation.
• What should I know about Anthony Caro's prints?+

  Anthony Caro (1924^[1]-2013^[1]) is best known as a sculptor; however, he also produced prints throughout his career. These works on paper offer another view into his artistic practice. Caro began making prints in the 1960s, exploring similar themes and forms as his three-dimensional work. He often worked with professional printers, such as Chris Prater at Kelpra Studio. This collaboration allowed him to experiment with techniques like screen printing. His prints are not mere reproductions of his sculptures. Instead, they represent a parallel investigation of shape, line, and space. Caro used printmaking to explore ideas about composition and the interplay of different elements. These prints often feature abstract forms and geometric shapes, reflecting his interest in modernist aesthetics. Some are closely related to specific sculptures, while others explore independent ideas. Caro's prints have been exhibited alongside his sculptures in major museums and galleries. They provide a valuable insight into the working methods of a major figure in 20th-century British^[1] art. They show a different aspect of his creative output.
• What style or movement did Anthony Caro belong to?+

  Anthony Caro (1924^[1]-2013^[1]) was an English sculptor whose work, after 1960^[1], is generally considered abstract. His pieces resist being viewed as single objects. Instead, they emphasise the relationships between the components. Caro's early work was in clay, but a 1959 encounter with the work of David Smith propelled him toward steel. Following Smith's lead, Caro began using scrap steel, sheet metal, and girders, crudely welding and bolting them together. His sculpture *Midday*, 1960, is considered his breakthrough piece. It is composed of I-beams and other industrial parts, painted bright yellow. Caro's constructions rarely reference the human figure. The emphasis is on form and process: the construction, the ordering of separate parts, how they are joined, and the use of colour to achieve synthesis. The individual elements give significance to one another through their juxtaposition. This concentration on syntax is, according to Clement Greenberg, an emphasis on abstractness, on radical unlikeness to nature.
• What techniques or materials did Anthony Caro use?+

  Anthony Caro is known for his abstract sculptures constructed from industrial materials. He initially worked with clay, gaining expertise in additive processes. This experience informed his later work with less malleable materials. In 1959^[1], a visit to the USA and exposure to the work of David Smith led Caro to abandon traditional materials like clay and bronze. He began using steel, sheet metal, and girders, often sourced from scrap yards. These materials were crudely welded or bolted together. Caro often painted his steel sculptures, typically using monochrome colours to clarify form and synthesise the work. The colours varied, sometimes being intense, and at other times soft. Colour served to minimise the visual impact of the steel, while also defining the piece's particular meaning. Later in his career, Caro combined found objects cast in bronze with welded bronze plates and bars. He left the bronze in a rough, natural state, avoiding conventional polishing.
• What was Anthony Caro known for?+

  Anthony Caro (1924^[1]-2014) was an English sculptor known for his abstract works made from welded or bolted steel. He often used industrial materials such as I-beams, girders, cylinders, piping, and sheet metal. Initially, Caro worked with clay, but a visit to the United States in 1959^[1], where he encountered the work of David Smith and Kenneth Noland, influenced him to abandon traditional materials such as clay and bronze. He then developed a more gestural form of abstract sculpture. His sculptures often sit directly on the floor, challenging conventional sculptural practices. His 1960 work, *Midday*, made of painted steel, represents a breakthrough into his personal style. It is composed of I-beams and other industrial units. *Early One Morning*, from 1962, is constructed from bolted steel sheets, I-beams, and tubes, coated in a uniform layer of red paint. From 1963 to 1965, Caro taught at Bennington College in Vermont.
• When did Anthony Caro live and work?+

  Anthony Caro (1924^[1]-2013^[1]) was a British^[1] abstract sculptor. He was born in New Malden, Surrey. Caro studied engineering at Cambridge University. Later, he studied sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools. From 1951^[1] to 1953, he worked as an assistant to Henry Moore. Caro is best known for his large-scale abstract sculptures made from welded steel. These works often sit directly on the ground, rather than on a plinth. His use of industrial materials and direct presentation challenged traditional sculptural conventions. Early examples include "Twenty Four Hours" (1960) and "Early One Morning" (1962). Caro taught at Saint Martin's School of Art in London from 1953 to 1981. There, he had a considerable influence on a generation of British sculptors. He encouraged students to explore new materials and approaches to sculpture. He received many awards and honours during his career, and his work has been exhibited internationally. He was knighted in 1987.
• Where can I see Anthony Caro's work?+

  Anthony Caro's sculptures are held in many public collections. These include museums in the United Kingdom, the United States, and elsewhere. In London, major works can be viewed at the Tate Britain; examples include "Early One Morning" (1962^[1]) and "Twenty Four Hours" (1960). The British^[1] Council Collection also holds several pieces, reflecting Caro's importance to British modernism. Outside the UK, The Museum of Modern Art in New York has a number of Caro's works. The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra also possesses examples of his output. Smaller galleries and university collections may hold less well-known pieces. Caro's sculptures are also found in open-air settings. Sculpture parks, such as Yorkshire Sculpture Park, often display large-scale works that interact with the natural environment. These allow viewers to experience the pieces in different conditions of light and weather. Before visiting, it is advisable to check the museum or park's online catalogue for current exhibitions and specific works on display, as collections and displays can change.
• Where was Anthony Caro from?+

  Anthony Caro was born in New Malden, Surrey, in 1924^[1]. He lived and worked in London. Caro studied engineering at Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1942^[1]. He then studied sculpture at Regent Street Polytechnic in 1946, followed by the Royal Academy Schools, London, from 1947 to 1952. During the 1950s, Caro worked as an assistant to Henry Moore. In 1963-65, he taught at Bennington College, Vermont. Caro died in London in 2014. Caro is regarded, after David Smith, as a supreme master of contemporary metal sculpture. His initial work was in clay, but an encounter with Smith's sculpture in 1959 prompted him to work with steel. He began using scrap steel, sheet metal and girders, which he welded and bolted together. His sculpture *Midday*, 1960, represents his breakthrough into a personal style.
• Who did Anthony Caro influence?+

  Anthony Caro's influence is visible in the work of many sculptors who followed him. His direct teaching at Saint Martin's School of Art in London from the 1950s to the 1980s meant he trained several generations of artists. Among his students were Phillip King, Tim Scott, and Richard Deacon. These artists developed their own individual styles, but Caro's emphasis on abstraction and the use of industrial materials had a clear effect. King's brightly coloured sculptures, Scott's exploration of form, and Deacon's large-scale constructions all owe a debt to Caro's innovations. Beyond his direct students, Caro's work affected the broader art world. His rejection of traditional sculpture methods, such as modelling and carving, opened up new possibilities for artists working with metal. His emphasis on the relationship between sculpture and its surrounding space also had a significant effect on installation art. Artists such as Martin Puryear and Ursula von Rydingsvard, while not directly students of Caro, engaged with similar formal concerns in their sculpture.
• Who influenced Anthony Caro?+

  Anthony Caro (1924^[1]-2013^[1]) was initially influenced by the sculptor Henry Moore. Caro worked as Moore's assistant for two years after studying at the Royal Academy Schools. Moore's impact is visible in Caro's early figurative work, which used modelled forms. Caro's direction shifted after a 1959^[1] visit to the United States. He encountered the work of David Smith, an American sculptor who worked in welded steel. This meeting prompted Caro to abandon modelling in favour of assemblage, using prefabricated metal elements. He also met Clement Greenberg, the influential art critic. Greenberg advocated for abstraction and "truth to materials". Caro adopted these principles, moving away from direct representation. Caro's exposure to Smith's techniques and Greenberg's theories led to his signature style. He began creating abstract sculptures from welded steel, often painted in monochrome colours. These sculptures, such as "Early One Morning" (1962), are characterised by their horizontal orientation and placement directly on the ground, without a plinth.
• Who was Anthony Caro?+

  Anthony Caro (1924^[1]-2014) was a British^[1] sculptor. He studied engineering at Christ's College, Cambridge, then sculpture at Regent Street Polytechnic and the Royal Academy Schools, London. From 1951^[1] to 1953, Caro worked as an assistant to Henry Moore. Caro taught at Bennington College, Vermont, from 1963 to 1965. During the 1950s, he began to move away from traditional materials such as clay and bronze. A 1959 visit to the USA, where he encountered the work of Kenneth Noland, Morris Louis, and David Smith, influenced this change. Caro started to fabricate his sculptures in steel, creating more linear forms. He used precast steel, sheet metal, and girders, welding and bolting them together. Caro would often paint his sculptures in monochrome or polychrome. He sometimes repainted polychrome sculptures in a single colour. One such example is *Midday* (1960), composed of I-beams and other industrial units. In 1966, he began a series of table sculptures, following the example of David Smith, who was inspired by Giacometti.