Soldered brass, 11 x 14 x 10, 2013.
An open-form tabletop sculpture in soldered brass that serves as both a formal exploration of space and a poignant homage to Sir Anthony Caro (1924–2013). Created in the year of Caro’s passing, the work explicitly engages with the late British master’s pioneer legacy—specifically his radical liberation of sculpture from the pedestal and his construction of space through assembled abstract planes and linear extensions. Here, classical heraldry and modern abstract assemblage collide, translating the legendary winged Lion of St. Mark into a dynamic, open-work armature of brass components.
The entire brass structure is enveloped in a rich, warm terracotta-red patina with subtle undertones of exposed golden brass beneath. The choice of deep red and burnished gold directly references the historic ceremonial colors of the Venetian Republic and the gilded bronzes of San Marco. The dual-tone finish emphasizes the joins and structural seams of the soldering, allowing light to catch the raised ridges while setting recessed cutouts into deep shadow.
The title’s dual reference invokes two intertwined histories: Venice’s imperial icon of spiritual and civic power (the Winged Lion) and Anthony Caro’s transformation of modern abstract sculpture. By constructing a “lion” entirely out of air, void, and soldered brass scrap, the piece strips away the oppressive weight of classical bronze monuments. It replaces static monumentalism with fluid rhythm and structural poise, offering a fitting tribute to Caro’s conviction that sculpture should exist as pure physical syntax in space.
