January 8, 2023

River of Forms: Giuseppe Penone’s Drawings at Philadelphia Museum of Art, through February 26, 2023

“In celebration of an exceptional gift of drawings by one of Italy’s leading contemporary artists, the Philadelphia Museum of Art presents a major exhibition examining the poetic vision of Giuseppe Penone, whose artistic production from the late 1960s to the present invites a timely rumination on the relationship between human experience and nature. River of Forms: Giuseppe Penone’s Drawings demonstrates the centrality of drawing in the artist’s work through a selection from the important gift and related sculptures. The exhibition conveys Penone’s extraordinary range of mark-making techniques and traces his explorations of drawing as an interface between artist and nature.“ — Philadelphia Museum of Art

The artist commented: “At the foundation of every single work of art the fascination and wonder that the world and its matter provoke is always felt. It is that fascination that the work, even a simple drawing, can evoke through its signs, its colors. This thought makes me believe and hope that the public will be able to share and appreciate my work, which I hope will manage to convey a sense of participation and belonging. A drawing is both the tracing of a person’s hand, and it is the imprint of a thought. This group of drawings is a journey through the ideas that have nourished my work, and my hope is that the public will be able to feel and to share this energy.”

“Project for Mirroring Contact Lenses—Looking at the Road (Progetto per lenti a contatto specchianti—Guardare la strada),” 1970, by Giuseppe Penone. Blue biro on paper, 13 x 7 1/8 inches (32.9 x 18.1 cm). Gift of the artist in honor of Dina Carrara, 2019. Image courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2020.
“Project for Projection, Plaster cast, Slides (Progetto per proiettore, calco di gesso, diapositiva),” 1972, by Giuseppe Penone. Hair and pastel on paper, 17 1/16 x 26 5/16 inches (43.3 x 66.8 cm). Gift of the artist in honor of Dina Carrara, 2019. Image courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2020.
Breaths, 1977, by Giuseppe Penone. Pencil and watercolor on paper. 10 x 14 3/8 inches. Gift of the artist in honor of Dina Carrara, 2019. Image courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2020.
“Untitled (Senza titolo),” 1982, by Giuseppe Penone. Synthetic polymer paint, spray-applied, and graphite on wove paper, 22 5/16 x 30 3/8 inches (56.7 x 77.2 cm). Gift of the artist in honor of Dina Carrara, 2019. Image courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2020.
“Project for Hand on Earth (Progetto per Mano di terra),” 1988, by Giuseppe Penone. India ink on paper treated with turpentine, 19 7/8 x 27 9/16 inches (50.5 x 70 cm). Gift of the artist in honor of Dina Carrara, 2019. Image courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2020.
“Vegetal Gaze (Sguardo vegetale),” 1991, by Giuseppe Penone. Pencil and ink on paper, 14 1/2 x 10 9/16 inches (36.8 x 26.8 cm). Gift of the artist in honor of Dina Carrara, 2019. Image courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2020.
Giuseppe Penone, Identità, Photo © Antonio Maniscalco. Collection: the artist. Image courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Giuseppe Penone, Identità (detail), Photo © Antonio Maniscalco. Collection: the artist. Image courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art.

River of Forms: Giuseppe Penone’s Drawings at Philadelphia Museum of Art was curated by Carlos Basualdo, Keith L. and Katherine Sachs Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, with Lara Demori, Ph.D., Research Associate.