Salvaged steel and a slice of countryside: Caro sculptures on show in Oxfordshire fields | Sculpture

Swallows scream overhead, rabbits walk along the grassy paths and butterflies flutter in the woodland. There is an orchard; There are chickens and beehives. It looks like a lovely, if traditional, piece of English countryside; until you come across stunning sculptures made from reclaimed steel or machine parts salvaged from factories, shipyards and farms.

The pieces are the stars of the show Heavy Metal, which brings together the works of Anthony Caro, one of England’s most important 20th-century artists, and James Capper, one of his successors.

Michael Hue-Williams, director and owner Albion Barn and Fields He said he was not a fan of traditional sculpture parks in south Oxfordshire, where Heavy Metal was exhibited. “I like the idea of ​​seeing a sculpture appear out of nowhere. You wander around for a while and it’s like by chance you discover something cool.”

Those with deep pockets can buy – Hue-Williams is a well-known and successful dealer – but casual art and nature lovers are invited to browse for free, as long as they make a reservation and promise not to climb on the statues.

Caro, who died in 2013, is considered one of Britain’s most influential post-war sculptors. He was involved in the construction of the Millennium Bridge in London and is known for repurposing scrap metal.

The exhibition at Albion Barn includes pieces such as Erl King, where a heavy ship anchor was used to create what resembles a bulky medieval helmet.

Another, Star Flight, is made of galvanized steel. From one perspective, the parish church of St James forms a backdrop; far away from someone else Wittenham Clustersa couple doing woodland chalk hill work.

A third Caro, found at the edge of woodland near a barn owl nest, was made from a cattle tack that had been used to hold cows while they were being examined or treated. The sections called Slow Transition were painted red, which Hue-Williams said reminded her of the work of Dutch abstract painter Piet Mondrian.

One of Capper’s standout pieces is called IRIS, which features what appears to be a repurposed industrial “catcher.” Some parts of Capper are moving. The prehensile parts of the IRIS open like the petals of a flower.

Inside a tractor barn converted into a gallery, the Capper sculpture consists of two objects made of fierce-looking cutting blades that square like stag beetles perched on a beam.

The catalog for the exhibition describes Capper going for an interview as Caro’s welder, but the veteran artist told him to return to his own studio and continue working on his own sculptures. He did just that and now works out of a studio at a former military airfield in Wiltshire.

The woods at Albion Barn were planted by Hue-Williams’ father, Giles Hue-Williams, a rewilding project before the idea became popular. Unfortunately, he was killed by a swarm of bees while working in the orchard.

But he created a point that suits art very well. Visitors be warned: there are no gift shops and cafes (the thatched-roof bar above the garden wall attracts a few extra customers), just acres of fields, forests and statues jutting out of the landscape.

Lucca Hue-Williams, daughter of Hue-Williams, director and founder of the central London gallery Albion Jeune and Heavy Metal have admitted that there is something a little crazy about the concept of such important artists hiding out in the Oxfordshire countryside.

“It’s a hidden gem, but I thought it was important to do an intergenerational show,” he said. “It’s a dialogue between Anthony Caro, one of the great artists of the last century, and James Capper, an artist he particularly inspired and associated with. People can come, walk around the fields. It’s very British, but fun.”

• It is open on Thursdays and Fridays and reservations can be made for visits. website. It is not suitable for people under the age of 12 and children between the ages of 12 and 17 must be under the supervision of an adult at all times.