Friday, May 1, 2015

Giuseppe Penone: Indistini confini/ Inddistinct Boundaries

Marian Goodman Gallery presents an impressive new show of sculptures by Giuseppe Penone. A member of the Arte Povera group, he continued throughout his career to explore the connections between natural and cultural forms. In the show, “Indistinti confini/ Indistinct Boundaries”, Penone also continued to combine natural objects with manmade materials.


I was impressed by his works' harmony although a huge gap between wood and marble. He carefully carved into a part of wood and covered empty space with marble. I had an experience in carving stone before, so I know how hard it is to carve the detail of wood exquisitely. So his work came as a surprise to me. The color of his work, mostly white blended in with this white cube gallery and it was relax my eyes. His installation view also reminded me of the scene of calm snowy days. 


In another floor, there were a big shell sculpture and some drawings. In drawings, there were various shapes of tree and while seeing his drawings, I could feel his time and effort about the natural shapes of tree. And a big shell piece with wood pedestal was interested to me. The normal shell is used to me, however as enlarging its size, it came to me in the unfamiliar way. As overall view, I was excited about this work and I can't wait for his next exhibition. 

1 comment:

  1. What were the man made materials with which he worked?I also felt the space was very serene. It is important how you point out that the labor involved in creating the works must have been incredibly time consuming. Since this knowledge comes from personal experience, your statement is compelling. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "his works' harmony although a huge gap between wood and marble" and think you should clarify this opinion. Unfortunately, I think you may have missed the gallery information sheet on the lower floor. The works were not supposed to be shells, but the artist grasping clay in his hands. You should elaborate on why the sculptures interested you. I suggest you read the artist's statement and revisit your thoughts concerning the works.

    ReplyDelete