Press Release 20 March 2015

Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle presents the UK’s largest celebration of British sculptor Sir Anthony Caro

This year, four of Yorkshire’s most influential visual arts organisations – the Henry Moore Institute, The Hepworth Wakefield, Leeds Art Gallery and Yorkshire Sculpture Park, comprising the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle – celebrate the career of one of Britain’s greatest sculptors, Sir Anthony Caro (1924– 2013) with a summer programme of exhibitions and events from 18 July until 1 November 2015.

Caro in Yorkshire has been developed by the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle partnership in collaboration with the artist’s family and studio, and with the active involvement of Sheila Girling, Caro’s wife, before her death on 14 February 2015. It is grounded in two significant exhibitions at The Hepworth Wakefield and Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Showcasing over 80 works spanning 60 years of Caro’s career, the content of the complementary exhibitions ranges from early figurative studies on paper – some annotated by Henry Moore during Caro’s time as his assistant – to large scale works in the open air. Caro in Yorkshire also presents a selection of Last Sculptures, created shortly before the artist’s death which are making their UK debut.

‘Sculpture hovers between painting and architecture… I begin to grasp how close in thinking are the worlds of the painter, sculpture and architect,’ wrote Caro in 1985. While Yorkshire Sculpture Park showcases the rich relationship Caro had with painting and materials, The Hepworth Wakefield takes Caro’s thoughts on architecture as a starting point, exploring his interest in scale and the use of architectural features within his work.

At The Hepworth Wakefield, the David Chipperfield-designed galleries provide a perfect setting to explore Caro’s interest in architecture, bringing together 40 works in total, from large-scale painted steel works made in the 1960s, such as Twenty-Four Hours (1960) – one of the first steel works Caro made – to the series entitled Table Pieces, and a presentation of jewellery, wearable works by Caro that highlight his art at an intimate scale.

Caro collaborated with world-famous architects such as Frank Gehry, Tadeo Ando and Norman Foster on a number of works including London’s Millennium Bridge, which informed Caro’s output in the second half of his career. Within his own practice Caro called this development ‘Sculpitecture’, a term he applied to works that visitors could physically enter, as well as view. The Hepworth Wakefield features one such inhabitable work, Child’s Tower Room (1983/1984), a wooden sculpture that children can explore. In The Hepworth Wakefield gallery gardens, visitors can view Palanquin (1987/1991) – a work inspired by the 1987 Sculpture Village, a collaboration between Caro, Gehry and Girling.

At Yorkshire Sculpture Park, a large display of rarely-seen sketches and figurative works from Caro’s early career are presented in dialogue with those marking a major shift in style after his first visit to the United States in 1959, including a bronze portrait of preeminent US art critic Clement Greenberg, who was an important advocate of Caro’s work. Caro’s introduction to the work of artists including sculptor David Smith, and painters Jules Olitski and Kenneth Noland inspired a radical departure from figurative works to the ground-breaking welded steel sculptures which were exhibited on the ground.

The large open space of YSP’s Longside Gallery provides an ideal setting for early painted works which emphasise the collaborative artistic relationship that Caro had with Sheila Girling. Girling played an important role in advising on the colours to be added to Caro’s steel sculptures, for example suggesting that Early One Morning (1962) might be improved being painted its now iconic red, rather than its original green. The Yorkshire Sculpture Park exhibition continues throughout the historic landscape with a series of monumental works including Promenade (1996) and a special presentation of Flats, which Caro made in America.

Both The Hepworth Wakefield and Yorkshire Sculpture Park close their respective exhibitions with a selection of Caro’s Last Sculptures, some exhibited for the first time. Having explored the possibilities of constructing sculptures with glass elements, Caro worked with large sheets of Perspex. These Perspex elements are combined with crushed, painted, rusted steel and found objects, often incorporating considerations of scale and architectural elements. This remarkable body of work demonstrates a consistency of vision across decades, united with an experimental attitude that has led Caro to be widely considered one of the most celebrated sculptors of our time.

Throughout the duration of the exhibitions, Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle will also present an open-air work by Caro in central Leeds. Situated outside Leeds Art Gallery and the Henry Moore Institute, Caro’s sculpture will overlook The Headrow, the city’s busiest thoroughfare, with thousands of passers-by being able to view a work by one of Britain’s most important sculptors.

As part of Caro in Yorkshire, the Henry Moore Institute will convene an academic conference entitled ‘Sculpture: 1965’ on 25–26 September 2015 taking place at Leeds Art Gallery and Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Speakers will discuss the importance of the year 1965, widely agreed to have been an important turning point in the artist’s career and include Professor Martin Hammer from the University of Kent and author John Spurling.

Lisa Le Feuvre, Head of Sculpture Studies, the Henry Moore Institute, said: ‘Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle is a celebration of the richness of sculpture that can be found in the region where both Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth formed their sculptural practices that have influenced the way we understand sculpture today. Caro’s importance to sculpture is immense and his relationship to Yorkshire is key in this, from his relationship with Yorkshire Sculpture Park to his work with the Henry Moore Studio at Dean Clough in Halifax during the 1990s.’

Peter Murray, Founding Director, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, said: “Caro was one of the first artists to support Yorkshire Sculpture Park and was a staunch advocate of the region’s artistic heritage and growing reputation as a world destination for sculpture.”

A Caro in Yorkshire catalogue will be available featuring in-situ photography and texts by Tim Marlow, Peter Murray CBE, Dr Helen Pheby and Eleanor Clayton.

Caro in Yorkshire is supported by Leeds City Council and Wakefield Councils.

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Media Enquiries: For press information about the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle, please contact: Phoebe Moore Sutton PR [email protected] + 44 (0)207 183 3577

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Exhibitions: Henry Moore Institute A Study of Modern Japanese Sculpture (until 19 April 2015) Carol Bove / Carlo Scarpa (2 April–12 July 2015) Garth Evans: Sculpture Photographs (2 April–12 July 2015)

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Eileen Agar: Natural Ready-mades (27 May–30 August 2015) Paul Neagu: Palpable Sculpture (13 August–8 November 2015)

The Hepworth Wakefield Lynda Benglis (until 1 July 2015) Plasters: Casts and Copies (2 May 2015–April 2016) A Greater Freedom: Hepworth 1965–1975 (18 April 2015–April 2016) Hepworth in Yorkshire (16 May–6 September 2015) Caro in Yorkshire (18 July–1 November 2015) Magali Reus (17 July–27 September 2015) Des Hughes (12 September 2015–Spring 2016) Gertrude Hermes (13 November–14 February 2016) Enrico David (13 November–14 February 2016)

Leeds Art Gallery One Day, Something Happens: Paintings of People, a touring exhibition from the Arts Council Collection curated by Jennifer Higgie (until 24 May 2015) Terry Frost (19 June–30 August 2015) Figure and Architecture: Henry Moore in the 1950s (until 30 August 2015) Narrating Objects; Unlocking the Stories of Sculpture (until 30 August 2015) British Art Show 8 (9 October 2015–10 January 2016)

Yorkshire Sculpture Park Nick Crowe & Ian Rawlinson: Song for Coal (until 19 April 2015) Henry Moore: Back to a Land (until 6 September 2015) Making It: Sculpture in Britain 1977–1986 (1 April–21 June 2015) Laura de Santillana and Alessandro Diaz de Santillana (2 May–6 September 2015) Rob Ryan (4 July–1 November 2015) Caro in Yorkshire (18 July–1 November 2015) Bob & Roberta Smith (5 September 2015–3 January 2016) Bill Viola (October 2015) Jonny Hannah (14 November 2015–28 February 2016)

Notes to Editors:

Sir Anthony Caro OM, CBE (1924–2013) Anthony Caro played a pivotal role in the development of 20th century sculpture. After studying sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools in London, he worked as assistant to Henry Moore. He came to public attention with a show at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1963, where he exhibited large abstract sculptures brightly painted and standing directly on the ground so that they engage the spectator on a one-to-one basis. This was a radical departure from the way sculpture had hitherto been seen and paved the way for future developments in three-dimensional art.

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. Caro often worked in steel, but also in a diverse range of other materials, including bronze, silver, lead, stoneware, wood and paper. Major exhibitions include retrospectives at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (1975); the Trajan Markets, Rome (1992); the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (1995); Tate Britain, London (2005); and Caro at Correr, during the 55th Venice Art Biennale. He was awarded many prizes, including the Praemium Imperiale for Sculpture in Tokyo in 1992 and the Lifetime Achievement Award for Sculpture in 1997. He held many honorary degrees from universities in the UK, USA and Europe, was knighted in 1987 and received the Order of Merit in May 2000.

Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle is a partnership founded in March 2012 between four of the region’s most influential visual arts organisations: the Henry Moore Institute, The Hepworth Wakefield, Leeds Art Gallery and Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Every year more than 1 million art lovers enjoy world-class exhibitions by contemporary and modern artists at these venues which are within a 30-minute drive,

3 bus or train ride from each other. Through an ambitious programme of shared exhibitions and events, in addition to their own public programmes, Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle aims to raise the profile of Yorkshire’s unique sculpture heritage as the birthplace of Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, and to establish Yorkshire as one of the best places to see contemporary and modern sculpture in the world.

Henry Moore Institute The Henry Moore Institute is a centre for the study of sculpture located in the heart of Leeds. An award-winning exhibitions venue, research centre, library and sculpture archive, the Institute hosts a year-round programme of exhibitions, conferences and lectures, as well as developing research and publications, to expand the understanding and scholarship of historical and contemporary sculpture. The Institute is a part of The Henry Moore Foundation, which was set up by Moore in 1977 to encourage appreciation of the visual arts, especially sculpture. As well as having a base in Leeds, The Foundation preserves Moore's legacy at his home in Hertfordshire and through exhibitions worldwide, as well as awarding grants to arts organisations in the UK and abroad.

In 2015 the Institute presents eight exhibitions, featuring artists including Carol Bove, Garth Evans, Paul Neagu, Eileen Agar and Katrina Palmer. Last summer the exhibition Gego. Line as Object brought the Venezuelan artist to a wider UK audience for the first time and achieved the accolade of Art Forum magazine’s ‘Best of 2014’. Alongside the temporary exhibition programme, the Institute manages and curates the Leeds Museums & Galleries sculpture collections and the Henry Moore Institute Archive of Sculptors’ Papers. This unique partnership has built one of the strongest collections of sculpture in the UK.

The Hepworth Wakefield takes its name from the internationally acclaimed sculptor, Barbara Hepworth, who was born in Wakefield in 1903. Designed by the internationally acclaimed practice, David Chipperfield Architects, it is funded by Wakefield Council and Arts Council England and an increasing number of charitable trusts, private individuals, Patrons and Members. The gallery is at the heart of Wakefield’s regeneration and opened on 21 May 2011. At 5,000 square metres, The Hepworth Wakefield is the UK’s largest purpose-built gallery outside London.

The gallery showcases Wakefield’s nationally important collection, which includes major works by Barbara Hepworth and her contemporary Henry Moore, born nearby in Castleford in 1898. The Wakefield Council Permanent Art Collection also holds key works by other leading British artists including Ben Nicholson, Jacob Epstein, Ivon Hitchens, Graham Sutherland, John Piper, Paul Nash, Patrick Heron, L.S. Lowry and Lucie Rie. The displays are enhanced by loans from the collections of Tate, the Arts Council, the British Council and private lenders. The Hepworth Wakefield’s temporary exhibition programme features the world’s leading contemporary artists. Past shows have included Eva Rothschild, Franz West, Philip-Lorca diCorcia and Haroon Mirza and Lynda Benglis.

Leeds Art Gallery holds and exhibits one of the most outstanding collections of modern British art outside London. Leeds Museums and Galleries’ fine art collection is designated by H M Government as of national importance. The sculpture collections are managed in partnership with the Henry Moore Institute, who leads on acquiring, displaying and researching both the sculpture collection and the Henry Moore Institute Archive of Sculptors’ Papers. The partnership has built an impressive modern sculpture collection, which is second only to that of the Tate. Leeds Art Gallery has always supported the work of living artists. Early gifts have included Lady Butler's Scotland Forever and paintings by the enduringly popular Leeds artist, Atkinson Grimshaw. The early 20th century is represented in multiple holdings by artists such as Stanley Spencer and Walter Sickert, as well as the Camden Town Group and the development of English modernism is shown through key works by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, Paul Nash, Jacob Epstein and Francis Bacon. Leeds Art Gallery continues to collect contemporary art; recent acquisitions include works by Simon Fujiwara, Becky Beasley, Fiona Rae and Bob & Roberta Smith.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) is the leading international centre for modern and contemporary sculpture. It is an independent charitable trust and registered museum (number 1067908) situated in the 500-acre, 18th-century Bretton Hall estate in West Yorkshire. Founded in 1977 by Executive Director Peter Murray, YSP was the first sculpture park in the UK, and is the largest of its kind in Europe,

4 providing the only place in the world to see Barbara Hepworth’s The Family of Man in its entirety alongside a significant collection of sculpture, including bronzes by Henry Moore, and site-specific works by Andy Goldsworthy, David Nash and James Turrell. YSP also mounts a world-class, year- round temporary exhibitions programme including some of the world’s leading artists across five indoor galleries and the open air. Recent highlights have included exhibitions by Fiona Banner, Ursula von Rydingsvard, Yinka Shonibare MBE, Joan Miró and Jaume Plensa. YSP's core work is made possible by investment from Arts Council England, Wakefield Council, The Henry Moore Foundation, Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation and Sakurako and William Fisher through the Sakana Foundation. YSP was recently named Art Fund Museum of the Year 2014.

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