Dimensions: image: 192 x 147 mm support: 431 x 355 mm
Copyright: © Archivio Penone | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: Looking at Giuseppe Penone's delicate tree drawing, the first word that springs to mind is "ethereal." It's almost a whisper of a tree. Editor: I see that. The muted tones, probably graphite or charcoal, give it a kind of fragile presence. It's interesting how he contrasts the bare branches with the solid ground. Curator: It reminds me of those quiet, reflective moments in nature, when you feel a deep connection to the earth, to the roots of things. Editor: Right, Penone’s career reflects his use of Arte Povera principles, emphasizing readily available materials, simple gestures, and a focus on natural processes. Curator: Exactly. He's showing us the hidden life, the constant give-and-take between above and below. Editor: Seeing the way he's worked the ground, it looks like paper was rubbed into the image itself, adding a rough, textured feel to a smooth surface. Curator: It's like he's inviting us to slow down, to contemplate the silent strength of a tree reaching for the sky. Editor: I agree. It's a testament to how simple materials and form can communicate such complexity of the natural world.
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This is one of a suite of eleven images and twelve pages of text from the portfolio entitled Footsteps on Mulberry Tree Tops. The portfolio was produced in an edition of twenty-one plus four artist’s proofs. Tate’s copy is the twentieth in the edition, the first half of which was published in book form, the second as loose leaves in a box. The images were printed from plates made in the artist’s studio in San Raffaele, Turin by the publisher Jacob Samuel in Santa Monica, California. They were all made using the chin collé technique and a combination of softground etching, spitbite, hardground etching, whiteground aquatint and drypoint.