Spine D'acacia - Palmo 

Editor: Right now we're looking at Giuseppe Penone's "Spine D'acacia - Palmo", a large drawing made with graphite on paper. It's an enormous field of graphite marks, creating this really intense, almost overwhelming texture. It’s like a magnified fingerprint, or maybe the inside of a leaf. What’s your interpretation of the materials and the method here? Curator: I think it’s crucial we focus on the act of making in Penone’s work. He meticulously, laboriously creates this texture. Graphite on paper: humble materials, but transformed through a sustained process. Consider the scale; this isn’t a casual sketch. This is about investment of time, a deliberate act of production that elevates the organic – in this case, the abstracted lines that suggests natural forms, and also the hand itself through touch– into something monumental. Editor: So the point isn't just the image it creates, but the labor involved in its creation? The transformation of material through that labor? Curator: Precisely. Think about the paper itself, the source of its production, the way the graphite becomes embedded. It’s a record of an action, a process. He's interested in demystifying art by showcasing the 'how' alongside the 'what', don’t you think? It blurs the traditional art categories, challenging notions about ‘high’ art versus craft. It questions where does the craft becomes art, and vice versa? Editor: That's a good point! So much of art history focuses on the "great idea" behind a work, or the artist's genius, but this pulls the rug out from under that. The labor is front and center. Curator: Exactly. It’s a democratizing impulse, of sorts, because anyone can potentially understand the material reality of this work, even if they don't grasp any grand narrative or deeper symbolism. It's about how simple things, handled with care, attention, can become something transformative. Editor: I never really thought of material and process being that democratic before, but I can see how looking closely at it can really change my understanding. Thanks for shedding some light on Penone’s art! Curator: My pleasure. It is all about material reality, which is always already there in our life and ready for deeper inspection.