Study for ‘Breath of Clay’ 1978

Giuseppe Penone made this ‘Study for Breath of Clay’ on paper, and with a very earthy palette. You can sense the artist's process, like a slow meditation. The work really brings the material to the forefront. The colour is so subtle, the texture almost like skin or the inside of a seed pod. It makes me think about the physicality of the medium, how the watery pigment seeps into the paper and stains it. See how the pigment bleeds at the edges of the form, creating a soft, blurred effect? Penone’s piece reminds me of Arte Povera, and how it’s about using humble materials to connect with something primal. Like a Cy Twombly drawing, it embraces the beauty of imperfection. It's like the artwork itself is breathing, becoming something alive, and always open to new interpretations.