New York, May 2002 - The leading New York modern and contemporary art gallery, Mitchell-Innes & Nash, will present its first Anthony Caro exhibition from November 8 through December 20, 2002. Anthony Caro: The Barbarians marks the unveiling of Caro’s latest series of work and celebrates the gallery’s exclusive U.S. market representation for the distinguished British sculptor. The artist has been working on the seven life-size sculptures since 1999, and the exhibition marks the first time the series will be on public view. Following the presentation at Mitchell-Innes & Nash, the exhibition will travel to London where it will be on view at Annely Juda Fine Art from March 5 through April 17, 2003. Caro’s Barbarians comprise six figures on horseback and one female figure in a chariot, which together evoke a timeless, mythic character. The artist has constructed each individual piece from wood, steel and vaulting horses that he found in a junk-shop in London’s Kings Cross neighborhood, combined with ceramic elements he made in the South of France with ceramicist Hans Spinner. Speaking about the evolution of the Barbarians, Caro has said: "Through the ages, civilizations have often been subject to unexpected assaults from warrior tribes. This happened when the Tartars overran Asia and the Huns and the Goths plundered Rome. My Barbarians allude to this history." Lucy Mitchell-Innes, co-owner of the Mitchell-Innes & Nash gallery with her husband David Nash, has always had a close relationship with Caro as it was Anthony Caro who gave Mitchell-Innes her first job, as a research assistant on the Anthony Caro catalogue raisonné. With its first volume published in 1981, the Caro catalogue raisonné now exists in 13 volumes. Speaking about the occasion of his first exhibition at Mitchell-Innes & Nash, Caro has said: "I am delighted to be able to work with Lucy again. We have stayed in touch through the years and I believe showing with her in the United States brings our relationship full circle. I am also so pleased to give the New York public the first opportunity to see the Barbarians. It is exciting that this latest work will be seen in the context of my other works in New York, at the Metropolitan Museum and on the lawn in front of Gracie Mansion." Artistic Background Caro’s prestigious career spans five decades, during which he has received numerous honors, critical acclaim, and widespread renown as Britain’s most important living sculptor. Knighted by the Queen of England in 1987, Caro was appointed by the Queen to the Order of Merit (OM) in 2000. The Order of Merit is bestowed upon individuals by the Queen in recognition of eminent service rendered in the armed forces, or towards the advancement of art, literature or science, and its membership is limited to 24 people. Caro’s work is represented in over 150 museums and other public collections worldwide and he received a lifetime achievement award from the International Sculpture Center in 1997. After working as an assistant to Henry Moore and teaching art in London from the 1950s onwards, Anthony Caro first came to international recognition in the 1960s with his large-scale, abstract sculptures. These early works were among the first freestanding sculptures to be set directly on the ground. The series was revolutionary for confronting viewers head-on at a time when most monumental sculpture was still displayed on pedestals. It was during this period when Caro began his strong associations with the United States. In the 1960s Caro taught at Vermont’s Bennington College and in 1980 he founded the Triangle Artist Workshop in Pine Plains, New York, where he provided a working environment for painters and sculptors from around the world for twelve years. Over the years Caro has experimented with a variety of materials including wood, clay and steel. The ceramic elements of the Barbarians reaffirm the artist’s life-long interest in working in clay. Caro is the only contemporary sculptor to have been exhibited at London’s National Gallery (in 1998) and was the subject of an important mid-career retrospective at New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 1975. Recently, major Caro exhibitions have been presented in France; in the Trajan markets in Rome; and at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. Having often explored the intersection of art and architecture in his work, Caro co-designed with architect Norman Foster and engineer Chris Wise London’s Millennium Bridge, which opened this year and is the first pedestrian bridge to span the Thames since 1894. In addition to the Barbarians exhibition at Mitchell-Innes and Nash, Caro will have an important survey exhibition this October in La Pedrera, a Gaudi building in the heart of Barcelona. His famous Last Judgement, the 25-part installation that he created for the 1999 Venice Biennale, will be shown in an adjacent building. In fall 2004, a major Caro retrospective will open in London at the Tate Britain before beginning an international tour with plans for an American venue. Outside the USA, Anthony Caro is represented by Annely Juda Fine Art, London. Listing Information: Gallery hours are 10:00am to 5:00pm, Tuesday through Saturday. To preview the exhibition or for further information, please visit the gallery website at www.miandn.com or contact Lucy Mitchell-Innes at the gallery at (212) 744-7400. For press information or to request images, please contact: Stacy Bolton tel: (212) 721-5350 fax: (212) 721-0780 email: sbstul@aol.com