Emma Dipper 1977

Anthony Caro assembled ‘Emma Dipper’ out of steel, probably sometime in the late 20th century. I love how the metal is both heavy and light, how the gray and brown give it an industrial but almost earthy feel. The piece is all about the process of putting things together, taking linear elements and figuring out how they might play with each other in space. The shapes are angular but also curved, like a drawing in three dimensions. I’m drawn to the brown bar that bends down near the bottom, almost touching the floor, as though it is bowing or dipping, giving the piece its name. It’s as if gravity itself is a kind of material he’s working with. Caro reminds me of artists like David Smith, who are also playing with industrial materials to make something lyrical and new. Art is a conversation that’s always unfolding. There's no one right way to see a piece like this. It’s all about how it makes you feel and what it makes you think about.