The project was conceived in 2010 in Anthony Caro’s studio from discussion amongst Caro and his studio assistants. These conversations went on to raise two discernable questions when considering the challenges faced when making contemporary sculpture.
The two key strands were to consider the role played by the assistant in the production of works by the dominant artist, and to examine the kinds of knowledge passed on to the assistant.
Stage 1 involved contacting and interviewing Caro’s assistants to gather the thoughts and opinions of former assistants, to explore the similarities, trajectories and impact of these roles that span across five decades of art production.
ACTIVITY:
April 2010
Preliminary research into assistants listed in the Barford Sculptures Limited archive and database.
April 2010 – 2015
Interviews with Assistants
Anthony Caro & Patrick Cunningham – PART ONE
Studio assistant 1968 to present day
Camden studio, London, UK
Group interview (November 2010)
Guy Martin
Studio assistant 1966–87
Somerset, UK
Email correspondence (January 2011 to December 2015)
James Wolfe
Studio assistant 1970–78
Maine, USA
Email correspondence (March 2011 to March 2015)
Willard Boepple [1971-78 US]
Studio assistant 1971–78
New York, USA
Email correspondence (October 2015)
Andre Fauteaux
Studio assistant 1974–75
Ontario, Canada
Email correspondence (February 2011 to August 2015)
John Gibbons
Studio assistant 1976–78
South London, UK
Interview (August 2013)
Jon Isherwood
Studio assistant 1982–95/7
Bennington, USA
Skype interview (June 2015)
Shaun Cassidy [1989-91 US]
Studio assistant 1989–91
Winthrop University, USA
Email correspondence (February 2011 to December 2015)
Ian Dawson
Studio assistant 1991–94
South East London, UK
Interview (April 2015)
Beth Cullen-Kerridge [1996-2004]
Studio assistant 1996–2004
Marlow, UK
Email correspondence (January 2011 to December 2015)
Gavin Morris
Studio assistant 1996–2003
Devon, UK
Telephone interview (January 2011)
Tim Peacock
Studio assistant 1996–2001 (full-time); 2001–5 (part-time)
London, UK
Email correspondence (July to December 2015)
Hywel Livingstone
Studio assistant 2003–6 (full-time); 2006–present day (part-time)
Cheltenham, UK
Email correspondence (June 2014 to December 2015)
Jonathan Gildersleeves
Studio assistant 2005–8
South London, UK
Email correspondence (September to December 2015)
William Fausset
Studio assistant 2005–8
Hertfordshire, UK
Email correspondence (September to December 2015)
Anthony Caro, Patrick Cunningham, John Wallbank, Neil Ayling & Olivia Bax – PART TWO
Studio assistants 1968 to present day, 2005-13, 2005 to present day;
2010 to present day.
Camden studio, London, UK
Group interview (November 2010)
Patrick Cunningham
Studio assistant 1968 to present day
Camden studio, London, UK
Interview (September 2015)
This is by no means a definitive or exclusive selection and does not represent all who worked for and with Caro. This collection represents those who were willing, able and contactable at time of writing.
Additional contributors
Interview
Jolyon Oliver
Studio assistant: 1991 Full time: March 1995-7 Part time: 1997-2013 Somerset, UK
Edited telephone interview: 2016
Duration: 23min 44 seconds
Interview includes reflection on the Tower of Discovery, competition stage of Millennium Bridge, Bell Tower Last Judgement, Barcelona Child’s Tower, and Tower of Song and Speech from the Chapel of Light, Bourbourg.
View footage of ‘Creating Barcelona Childs Tower’ on Jo Oliver’s website: customtimberworks.wordpress.com
Interview
Susannah Oliver
Studio assistant: 1991 and 1996 Bedfordshire, UK
Edited telephone interview: 2016
Duration: 25min 02 seconds
Interview includes reflection on the experience of working on the Tower of Discovery with insight into the finishing processes and other studio work. Reference is made to Paul Moorhouse’s Anthony Caro: sculpture towards architecture (1991) catalogue Tate Publishing, London. ISBN: 9781854370853
Interview
Richard Trupp
Studio assistant: 2000-01
Written response: reworked 2016 London, UK
richardtrupp.herokuapp.com
