Anthony Caro at Gagosian Near King's Cross

POV Anthony Caro  Torrents 2012, rusted,(96 x 126 x 70 inches)  - Photo

Had a few minutes to spare after a volunteering interview near King's Cross so, I took the opportunity to visit its local Gagosian Gallery.

It was holding an exhibition of Sir Anthony Caro's Work Park Avenue Series. Originally commissioned for New York's Park Avenue the project was cancelled for financial reasons. Caro has used the research and designs to inspire and create the works for this exhibition.

The works are truly monumental - huge! Typically 10 foot long by 5 foot deep by 6 foot high. Each work dominated its space but this wasn't a crowded installation, as the gallery space was equally huge, so that each piece had room to be itself.  The polished hard grey floor and the white walls isolated as well as complimented the works - wonderfully.

As usual no photography in a Gagosian Gallery but this time not even the chance to 'steal' a shot such was the tight security aka the Men In Black and CCTVs. So the best I could do was the lame POV composition shot outside the gallery you see at the head of this post and 'borrow' a shot from the exhibition's website to complete the post.

Caro compared with Nash

Despite my misgivings on sculpture for instance eg "Where do you look first ?" "What's the best angle?" I was impressed. There was something going on with  each piece. Hard to put one's finger on what that something was or articulate it nevertheless there was something there. Caro was saying something - not sure what but something!

One work which really struck or rather spoke to me was In the Forest. The best shot I could find was part of a Gallery Installation shot where it is in the centre, at the rear of the photograph as shown above.

I was minded of Paul Nash's Equivalents for the Megaliths 1935. Although coming from  a very different era and media the cylindrical form unite the works: one could envisage Caro's forms substituting Nash's and vice versa. Both works have (for me) a lightness, as well as an openness: Nash is set in the countryside, Caro's work would exist equally well in the countryside as it would have in the urban NY Park Avenue.

One last but mercenary point - the prices. When enquiring about the price  I was advised that I would need 'talk to a sales consultant' aka If you have to ask the price you can't afford it, c'est la vie!