Study for ‘Breath of Clay’ 1978

Giuseppe Penone made this study for ‘Breath of Clay’ using a wash technique that lets the material—maybe diluted clay itself—do a lot of the talking. The act of painting can be a real conversation. I bet Penone was thinking about the earth, how it breathes and shifts. The pigment is thin, watery, staining the paper, like a memory settling in. See how the edges aren’t crisp? They bleed and feather, suggesting movement and change, like the thing is becoming itself right before your eyes. I’m reminded of Helen Frankenthaler’s soak-stain paintings from the '50s, but with an earthier vibe, literally. It makes me think about how artists are always in dialogue, pulling ideas from each other across time and space, and making something new. The title gives the game away, of course, but still, this drawing celebrates ambiguity, inviting us to bring our own breath and interpretations.