Giardino No. 13 (Garden No. 13) 1986

Editor: So here we have Giancarlo Tognoni's "Giardino No. 13 (Garden No. 13)", made in 1986 with pencil, pastel, and watercolor on paper. I’m struck by the earthy tones; it feels almost like looking at fossilized plants or maybe just a faded memory of a garden. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, I love that “faded memory” idea! For me, it's as if Tognoni captured not the garden itself, but its echo – that ephemeral feeling of being enveloped by nature. I wonder, do you sense a push and pull between representation and pure abstraction? The botanical shapes are recognizable, yet they dissolve into a symphony of line and tone. Editor: Absolutely, there's a definite tension. The shapes hint at flora, but then they drift into these soft, blurred edges. Is that intentional, do you think? Curator: I do. Look at the layered textures created by the pencil, pastel, and watercolor combination. He invites us to contemplate the garden as a space of imagination. It becomes less about accurate portrayal and more about exploring the feelings it evokes. Perhaps that’s why it resonates as a memory... vague, beautiful, always slightly out of reach. What do you make of the limited colour palette? Editor: It contributes to the subdued mood. The browns and grays almost create a sense of something ancient, something unearthed. Curator: Precisely! This subdued palette brings an intimate intensity to the artwork; rather than aiming for botanical illustration, Tognoni is concerned with the language of suggestion. Editor: That makes so much sense. It’s less about *what* he's depicting, and more about the emotional *impact*. Thanks for pointing that out! I will have to reconsider how I consider colour from now on.