Elevazione 2007

Giuseppe Penone made this sculpture, Elevazione, out of living trees, and the result is just wild! You can see how Penone approaches artmaking as a process, not just a product. The most striking thing is how he’s used the natural growth of the trees. They seem to float above the ground. The texture of the bark, the way the light hits the leaves – it’s all about embracing what the natural world offers. Look closely at how the roots stretch out horizontally, supported by those vertical trunks. It’s like a dance between the earth and the sky, a perfect balance of weight and levity. Penone is part of the Arte Povera movement, a group that really challenged traditional art materials. This piece reminds me of some of the land art from the 60s and 70s, artists like Robert Smithson or Walter De Maria, who got out of the studio and into the landscape. Art is an ongoing conversation, always building on what came before.