The Chatsworth House Trust and the New Art Centre, Roche Court Sculpture Park, presents ‘Caro at Chatsworth’, the first exhibition dedicated to the work of a single artist to be held in the garden at Chatsworth sited around the famous Emperor Fountain, in front of the south façade at Chatsworth. On view 28 March – 1 July, 2012.
Goodwood Steps, (1996) by Anthony Caro at Chatsworth
‘Caro at Chatsworth’ provides a once in a lifetime chance to see the larger work of Britain’s greatest living sculptor in one of Britain’s most famous historic settings. All the sculptures in the exhibition have been lent by the artist and reflect his major concerns over the past 4 decades. Early examples of Caro’s steel sculptures painted in blue, orange and green are shown alongside examples from the renowned ‘Flats’ series of sculptures made in Canada in rusted and varnished steel in the 1970s.
More recent works from the 1990s reflect Caro’s continual experimentation with the surface, form and structure of steel. Sited immediately in front of the south lawn and the Seahorse Fountain will be the monumental ‘Goodwood Steps’, its striking series of ziggurats echoing the architecture of Chatsworth House itself. The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue containing specially commissioned photography of Anthony Caro’s sculpture in the context of Chatsworth with a foreword by the Duke of Devonshire and essays by Martina Droth, Head of Research and Curator of Sculpture at Yale Center for British Art and Stephen Feeke, Curator at Roche Court.
To coincide with ‘Caro at Chatsworth’, a number of museums and galleries in the region will exhibit sculptures by Anthony Caro within the displays of their collections including the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Leeds Art Gallery. There will also be a series of related educational events. Sir Anthony Caro O.M. was born in 1924. After studying sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools in London, he worked as an assistant to Henry Moore. He came to public attention with a pioneering solo exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1963, which established his pivotal role in the development of twentieth century sculpture. Caro has since shown his work in exhibitions across the world and is represented in the major international collections of contemporary art.
Most recently he has had solo exhibitions at Tate and on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. As well as ‘Caro at Chatsworth’, he has major projects destined for New York and Venice his indefatigable energy and creativity showing no signs of slowing down. Chatsworth house is also known as the ‘Palace of the Peaks,’ named so for its beautiful Baroque architecture, fascinating history and displays and treasures from the Devonshire Collection, one of Europe’s most significant art collections.
Chatsworth also has a long association with 20th-century art, and the Devonshire Collection includes important works by artists such as Lucien Freud, David Hockney, John Hoyland and Michael Andrews. The establishing of the Chatsworth House Trust in 1981 enabled the recent acquisitions of a number of sculptures for the grounds by, amongst others, Barry Flanagan, Elizabeth Frink and Richard Long, and contemporary artwork within the house. The Devonshire Collection also includes Anthony Caro’s early ‘Table Piece XCIV’, 1969. The present house was built between 1687 and 1707 on the site of a Tudor mansion built by Bess of Hardwick. The gardens include the famous Cascade and the Emperor Fountain; the Canal Pond was dug in 1702 and is 287m. In 2011, the external stonework of the South and West facades of the house has been undergoing a programme of restoration, whereby it has been cleaned, repaired and restored, ensuring its long term preservation for future generations of visitors.
The work, will be completed in time for the opening of Caro at Chatsworth, providing the perfect setting for this important exhibition.
Presented in association with: New Art Centre http://www.sculpture.uk.com/
Chatsworth
Bakewell
Derbyshire
DE45 1PP
Tel: 01246 565300 (24hr switchboard)
www.chatsworth.org
