Monograph on Giuseppe Penone Explores Arte Povera Master's Material Process

A new monograph on Giuseppe Penone, a historic figure of Arte Povera, opens with a compelling interview with Benjamin Buchloh discussing artists who influenced Penone: Yves Klein, Piero Manzoni, and Lucio Fontana. Penone emphasizes his unique relationship with nature, which often determines the creation of his works and his interest in direct material manipulation. The book addresses themes of process and maturation based on searching for the origin of things, developed through principles of expansion. His concern for the contemporaneity of the gaze is paradoxically anchored in trans-historicity. Edited by Laurent Busine, the volume is divided into seven chapters corresponding to major themes in Penone's work, offering a chronological rather than transversal approach. It is supported by abundant iconography that delves into the details of his material work and inseparable temporal process. The book explores notions of breath, gaze, skin, heart, blood, memory, and speech developed by the artist over forty years. It includes a notable essay by Didier Semin on "Arbre des voyelles," a sculpture installed for about ten years in the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris.