He was widely regarded as the greatest British sculptor of his generation.
He first gained public attention with a show at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1963. His large abstract sculptures, such as "Early One Morning" (1962), were brightly painted and stood directly on the floor, rather than on pedestals.
He studied engineering at Christ's College Cambridge, and specialized in sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools in London. He was a teacher at St Martin's School of Art in London from 1953 to 1981.
He worked closely with another great British sculptor, Henry Moore, early in his career.