Art of creation in the material world

Renowned sculptor Sir Tony Cragg is presenting a major new exhibition at Castle Howard. Chris Bond talks to him about the power of sculpture and how he is inspired by the world around him.

SIR Tony Cragg is one of our most renowned sculptors, though by his own admission he hasn’t exhibited his work a great deal in the UK recently. So when he was approached by Castle Howard about holding an exhibition at the famous stately home in North Yorkshire, he was intrigued by the prospect.

“Castle Howard is a completely different landscape and setting and almost a different culture in some ways, and I thought ‘let’s try it.’ I haven’t shown in Great Britain very often in public situations in the last few years and where am I going to exhibit my works if not in these kinds of situations? So in a way it’s a nobrainer.”

Tony Cragg at Castle Howard, which runs until September 22, will be the first major exhibition by a leading contemporary artist to be held across both the house and grounds of the historic country estate, recognised by millions around the world as the location for Brideshead Revisited and Bridgerton.

The exhibition includes Cragg’s magnificent sculpture Over The Earth (2015), which will be shown outside for the first time, along with numerous other major works including Senders (2018), Points of View (2018) and Versus

(2012). There will also be numerous smaller sculptures and works on paper on display inside the house, including work in the Great Hall.

For Cragg, it’s also an opportunity to tap into our rich sculptural heritage.

“Henry Moore was in many ways the first contemporary modern sculptor that put works in an outdoor setting. Then there are artists

nd like Richard Long and Anthony Caro and places like the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. So I think there’s an enormous tradition in Britain for looking at sculpture in outdoor settings and I’m happy to be part of that.”

Cragg’s thought-provoking work constantly explores new ways of expressing our relationship with the physical world, utilising an array of materials including steel, bronze, glass and wood, as well as more unconventional materials such as plastic, fibreglass and Kevlar. “Between man-made things and nature

FORM REVISITED: Right, Sir Tony Cragg standing next to one of his glass sculptures that is on show at the stately home and, above, outside with Industrial Nature (aluminium, 2024).