Page 42 - Studio International - December 1971

Anthony Caro Nocturn strikes the grand manner nevertheless in reverse. The quadrantal shapes lack
with an astonishing lightness and ease.' Two containment, and their triangular shaped
at David verticals, widely separated, are connected by a supports, while weighing them down, are
bar bent horizontally and running at a slight themselves weighed down in turn by the heavy
Mirvish diagonal. One vertical, an elongated vase-shape ground beams. In short, it is like looking at a
of shaved steel projects a horizontally positioned sail boat, an impression that the constricted
arm near ground level that curves out, across, viewing area of the Mirvish sculpture court
and in on the rectilinear. Of an unsmoothed did not conceal, where it sat as in a large
surface this arm is supported in only one niche.4
underpart of the bar parallel to the large A profoundly sculptural mind, Caro's four
transverse bar. The other vertical, an elongated pictorial pieces in this show are either flawed or
cylinder, projects a sharply curving arm at the unsuccessful (with the exception of Crown,
same height as the former but rises away from which sufficiently emphasizes figurative and
the cylinder at a low angle. Also of shaved steel directional qualities). The least successful work
this arm connects at its axis with an I-beam cut in this mode was Celeste, consisting of three
so that it sits diagonally on the floor, thereby verticals in a row, two tall and one short,
seeming to rise out of it. This curving arm ends connected by a series of circles and
near its neighbour in a low slender cylinder that semicircles at varying heights (two of the circles
does not rise above the arm itself. Though parts were from David Smith's collection of metal
of Nocturn (such as the small, springing and one of them is at ground level outside the
foot-like projection at the base of the line of verticals; both have rhythmically
vase-cylinder) are superb in themselves, I found shaped edges). The half of Celeste with the
looking at the whole to be unsatisfying. At highest elements is both overworked and
heart it is not a complex work and the viewer terminated too soon. Not only are the angles
tends to see the arms and their supports as restricted in the pictorial format but the
having been developed in one direction outward sculpture is closed-in, in a way we do not
from the frame of the two verticals and their associate with Caro's openness (i.e. closed-in
bar. Curiously though, one never gets a clear on one side).
impression of the whole sculpture, even given Canal, a large rusted work (there is blue paint
this uni-directional and pictorial orientation, on one small area near the ground), is also
so that the viewer is coaxed into looking at overworked. I have heard it argued that in
parts, at passages, and is never fully allowed to Canal, Caro is demonstrating the failure of De
look at the sculpture with all its parts working Stijl composition which too rigorously aligned
together. Nor does it appear that Caro's itself on the horizontal—vertical axes. But I
introduction of a painterly surface is successful would suggest that Canal itself works too
in this instance. The advantage of course is that obviously, or rather tries to, on the diagonal
such a surface receives light with greater and that its basic relations of up-and-acrosses
variety and interest, but concurrently they can make these diagonally positioned elements forced,
occasionally look figurative and therefore whereas the diagonally cut sections verge on
isolated, and therefore unintegrated with the bombast. Canal has the look of the necessary
whole. mistake about it, the kind of 'mistake' that
The matte paint texture of Nocturn, by proves seminal to later, more integrated work.
absorbing light, helps to negate its actual weight Only Tempus, the rather Smithian Late
(ten men are required to lift it). But as Canal Afternoon, and Crown achieve the concise,
and Late Afternoon, the only two rusted pieces poignant expressivity we associate with Caro.
in the show, demonstrate, the negation of They were also the pieces conceived and realized
weight, the achievement of an illusionistic in the deepest space (excepting Canal).
weightlessness, is an almost entirely Atypically, Crown, painted a matte, pastel
compositional feat. The experience of orange, keeps its elements closely together in
paint-texture and colour (which we should the almost figurative way that certain of
separate in discussion) are clearly peripheral to Michael Steiner's upright works do. Also,
this. Lightness, weightlessness, are not the Crown implies a directed motion of the kind
hallmarks of Caro's originality, they are the that one associates with Steiner's uprights
more elating aspects of his sculpture. When one again. The comparison could be taken further
There were seven pieces in the recent Anthony becomes aware of the extent to which a highly but it is Caro's originality that defines the work;
Caro exhibition at the DAVID MIRVISH GALLERY, controlled compositional sense affects the thin linear elements, the very low centre of
Toronto (June—July), six from 1970, and one, qualities of his sculpture, taste begins to want gravity, and of course the paint.
the splendid After Summer from 1968. It more complete manifestations of it.2 After Both Late Afternoon and Tempus have a
covered a surprisingly broad range of Caro's Summer is an example. comparatively reduced number of elements and
sculpture for the size of the show, and even more In frontality, the view so well described by dominating compositional movements, upon
surprisingly it made him look much better Jane Harrison Cone,3 one could not be more which the elements are cast in space. In Late
than at least three of the pieces actually were. impressed by such a conception, a conception Afternoon this movement is an elliptical one.
Mirvish's is an ideal place to exhibit large art all the more remarkable for being both Two semicircles resting on the ground each
works so that Caro's pieces in the main gallery pictorial and realized in very deep space at the support a slender vertical which in turn
showed to great advantage, especially the light same time. Moving to the sides, however, the supports a pair of I-beams, one short and one
grey Nocturn. flaws of After Summer become apparent. All of long, in a stepped formation. Because the one
Though less specifically than After Summer, the relations geared to frontality begin to work semicircle with support is positioned near the
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