Anthony Caro was born in Surrey, England in 1924. He is said to be a pivotal figure in the development of sculpture in the 20th century. After studying sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools in London he worked as assistant to Henry Moore.
Following his early years, when he worked mostly with clay and bronze, he first came to prominence with a show at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1963. There he exhibited large brightly painted abstract sculptures that stood directly on the floor and which engaged the spectator directly on a one-to-one basis. This was a radical departure from the way sculpture had previously been seen. His sculpture is usually made in steel, but he also works in a diverse range of materials including bronze, silver, lead, paper, clay, stoneware and wood.
Caro taught for two years at Bennington College, Vermont, USA, and for many years at St. Martin's School of Art in London, where his students included Philip King, Barry Flanagan, Richard Long, Gilbert & George and Richard Deacon. Both his innovative sculpture and the questioning approach of his teaching opened up many new possibilities both formally and with regard to subject matter. "This led to a flowering and a new confidence in sculpture worldwide".
Caro's teaching at St Martin's School of Art in London (1953-1981) was very influential. His questioning approach opened up new possibilities, both formally and with regard to subject matter. His innovative work as well as his teaching led to a flowering and a new confidence in sculpture worldwide.
Major exhibitions include a one-man retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1975, Sculpture into Architecture at the Tate Gallery in 1991, further retrospectives at the Trajan Markets, Rome, in 1992 and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, in 1995, Sculpture from Painting at the National Gallery, London, in 1998 and The Last Judgement at the Venice Biennale in 1999.
Caro was part of the design team for the Millennium Bridge across the Thames between St Paul's Cathedral and Tate Modern.
He has been awarded numerous prizes including the Premium Imperiale for Sculpture in Tokyo in 1992 and holds honorary degrees from many universities, including Yale and Cambridge. He is a honorary member of the American Academy of Arts & Letters, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the Brera Academy in Milan. He was knighted in 1987 and received the Order of Merit in May 2000.
Solo exhibitions:
Anthony Caro from January 2004. Seoul Museum of Art, Korea.
Caro - Terracottas from January 2004. Garth Clarke Gallery, New York, USA.
Caro from April 2004. Josine Bokhoven Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland.
Anthony Caro from May 2004. Museum Wurth, Kunzelsau, Germany.
Anthony Caro from June 2004 Constantine Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, USA.
Anthony Caro from January 2005, major retrospective at Tate Britain, London.
Anthony Caro from June 2005. IVAM, Valencia, Spain.
Source: askart.com
