Study for ‘Breath of Clay’ 1978

Giuseppe Penone made this study for ‘Breath of Clay’ using the most simple of materials. It reminds me that artmaking is essentially a process of experimentation. There’s something primal about the earthiness of the ochre tones here, which Penone coaxes into existence using washes of varying intensities. The colour is in the stain, which makes me think about the Arte Povera movement, which this artist was a part of, and the beauty of modest materials. The form itself is so simple: a rounded form, swollen at the base and tapering towards the top, with a curl at the top that reminds me of a seashell. The edge of the form is where all the action happens. Here the pigment pools and gathers, leaving a tide mark that resembles the natural processes of sedimentation. It's like the work of Cy Twombly; both artists allow their medium to lead the way.