Twenty Four Hours 1960

Anthony Caro made this sculpture, ‘Twenty Four Hours’ using welded steel, and I'm really drawn to the way he coaxes such a complex range of feelings from such simple forms. It's like he's using geometry to tap into something deeply human. The texture of the steel is really important here; it’s rough and uneven. Caro isn't trying to hide the material or smooth it over. Instead he leaves traces, bumps, and welds visible. See how the different shapes sit together; the square leaning casually against the upright circle, supported by the lower triangle. Nothing is obscured, it's all there to see, like the cogs of a machine. And that’s the real genius of Caro. He makes us aware of the physical presence of these materials, and our own position in relation to them. I’m reminded of David Smith, particularly in the way he uses steel to create these monumental, yet somehow intimate, forms.