In the late 1960s, Cragg, intrigued by the observation and study of the material world, left the field of science to pursue a career as an artist. Over half a century and more than 400 solo exhibitions later, Cragg has established himself as one of the most influential sculptors working today, widely recognized for his lifelong fascination and virtuosity with materials.  

The presentation of works demonstrates the formal, material, and emotive range of sculpture that Cragg has been working on since 2018. As is distinctive of his oeuvre, these works are the outcome of a profound and restless fascination with material properties. Cragg works to capture the emotion, meaning, and beauty of a material, as well as the rational structure that is used to express its form beyond its modern utilitarian principles.

As seen across the oevre of the artist, Tony Cragg notably works in ‘families’ of sculpture—continuously inventing new forms in series that often share a single title.  His works encourage us to think sculpturally, to consider material as an extension of the self.

Tony Cragg is also well known and appreciated for his drawings and works on paper. For Cragg, drawing is an essential activity, often existing autonomously from the practice of sculpture, as a daily process or the expression of a concrete idea. Drawing allows visualization of a complex material world, or can be a step into the unknown. As Cragg says, “In contrast to sculpture, drawing never demands a real world scenario. Drawing steps into the world of dreams.”

Current exhibition:
Tony Cragg
Ocean of Drops
La Biennale di Venetia @Fondazione Berengo
Venice, Italy

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