British; 1924-2013
Half Penny, 1980.
Material: Bronze and Brass
Measurements: 31” x 24” x 24”
Location: H. Mebane Turner Learning Commons
Main Lobby, by Town Hall
Squat and compact yet substantial, Half Penny lies somewhere between Caro’s small “table pieces” first executed in the 1960s and the monumental constructions he completed later in his career. The crudely welded edges, sloppy construction and worn metal pieces are an ideal example of the artist’s signature technique: assembling industrial and found metal objects to make an abstract form. While a base has been provided here, Caro intended for all of his works to sit directly on the ground, changing the dynamic between art and viewer by removing a physical barrier and making the artwork more accessible. The rawness and immediacy of Caro’s sculptures, combined with the elimination of a pedestal, represent a radical departure from the medium’s core traditions.