Soffio 3 1978

Giuseppe Penone made Soffio 3 from terracotta, which is a kind of earthenware clay. I can imagine him working with the soft clay, coaxing it into this strange vessel, pinching the sides and smoothing the surface. The color is warm and earthy. It reminds me of the color of the soil after a good rain, a sort of brownish-red that feels both ancient and alive. It’s so interesting to consider the making of this piece and how the artist must have felt as he worked on it. There’s a tension between the smooth, curved interior and the rough, textured exterior, like holding something precious inside something solid. Penone is definitely in conversation with other sculptors. It makes me think of the raw, organic forms of early modernists like Brancusi and Arp, but with its own unique, contemporary twist. It's like all artists are talking to each other across time and space, riffing on the same themes, but in their own voice.