Lagoon 1977

Anthony Caro built this ‘Lagoon’ from steel. I can imagine him in his studio, wrestling with the material, cutting, bending, and welding these massive pieces together, letting the material speak to him. What I see is a form of drawing in space. The planes interact with each other in a carefully choreographed dance, like a conversation. The sculpture’s rusted, earthy tones contrast with the slick, modernist façade behind it, setting up an interesting tension between nature and artifice. That long, diagonal element shooting across the composition is so dynamic, so full of potential energy. Caro was part of a generation that pushed sculpture beyond the traditional figure, towards abstraction. Like his contemporary David Smith, he explored the expressive possibilities of industrial materials, creating works that are both monumental and surprisingly intimate. It's all one big conversation!