La Pietra 1986

Editor: Here we have Denis Mitchell's "La Pietra," undated, a stone sculpture in the Tate collection. It’s a rather imposing piece, vertically oriented with a suggestive opening at the top. What strikes you about its form? Curator: The dialectic of mass and void is immediately apparent. Note how Mitchell uses the smooth, continuous curve to draw the eye upward, only to be interrupted by the sharply defined negative space. Editor: So, the sculpture is less about representing something specific, and more about the interplay of shapes and lines? Curator: Precisely. The material itself, the stone, contributes to this dialogue. Its texture and color enhance the perception of depth and volume. Does this change your perspective? Editor: It does. I was so focused on what it might represent that I overlooked the formal elements. Thank you. Curator: A productive observation. There is much to be gained through close attention to the intrinsic properties of the work itself.