Initiated through the schools of Fine Art at Bath School of Art & Design and Norwich University of the Arts, this project involves interviews with Caro and his studio assistants, discussion groups with artists and students, and contributions from critics and writers of Fine Art and Education, to explore artists’ careers, modes of making and communities of learning.
By taking Caro and his impact on art education in the 1960s as a pivotal moment in British sculpture, this research looks at the responses from Caro and his studio assistants to reflect upon the role of assistants, as a fundamental shift occurred from hands-on, process-based studio sculpture towards the expanded field and a post-medium condition.
Throughout the process we were interested to ask what happens to the assistants to explore the impact and legacy of this role, by asking key questions such as: What new kinds of production are enabled? How does it affect the production of signature works? What is the relationship between assistantships, apprenticeships, and formal education? And can this inform current pedagogy? But significantly, what is the impact on the artistic lives of the assistants and how do we perceive its legacy for sculpture today?
By pursuing this line of enquiry, Artist Boss seeks to reveal a new uncharted approach to the reading of Caro’s work and legacy. The project aims to share the individual voices that make up the discourse of art history, and to expose learning communities to stimulate new possibilities for students, artists, and academics across disciplines.
The following information catalogues the project's development.