Page 21 - Studio International - November 1972

he created a sequence of actions on mythical elements in tension — in equilibrium, torsion,
themes. Here the homo ludens is the artist suspension, or opposition. A ball moves
himself as he plays, works, and eats with a floating on a surface of water that we cannot see;
tremendous vitality that is also a consciousness a steel bar keeps a twisted piece of leather from
of struggle. This film is perhaps the most unwinding; two heavy bars compress a sponge
complete expression of Pascali's aesthetic between them. This physical tension becomes
experience. mental when Anselmo presents a cancelled-out
energy instead of a checked movement. For
example, he has buried electricity in a stream of
4
After Levi-Strauss discovered the fundamental cement and used cement again as an enclosure
identity of nature and culture, art too ceased to for neon tubes that can be turned on and off but
make a distinction between cultural products not seen. Gilberto Zorio on the other hand
and natural products. uses electricity, heat, and chemical elements to
This is true for Jannis Kounellis and his create energy fields and situations of fluid
shows of living animals, products of events. His sculptures become more than they
primordial human activities such as wool and are, even though, as is the case with Anselmo as
coal, and bags of food-stuffs. These choices, well, they are not kinetic. Zorio has made use of
like the choice of fire among the natural Wood's light, regulated by a timer, to involve the
elements, were determined by his public in a subliminal perception of invisible
psychological structure. In the work of Mario words written on the gallery walls. Anselmo's
Merz and Marisa Merz, the artists began by and Zorio's works are designed for a public that
evidencing their biological structure. The is too frequently in touch with visual stimuli,
process with which Marisa Merz cuts and sews and thus they attempt to surprise it with
together sheets of metal, obtains wax objects, energetic stimuli and to make it concentrate on
and rolls up other objects out of cloth concerns the expectations provoked by the art of Gilberto Zorio
Phosphorescent Fist 1971
the biophysical data of her own person. process. Galleria Sperone, Turin
The process with which he manipulates the Like Merz and Zorio, Pier Paolo Calzolari
things, materials, and all of the physical data of has also made pieces that modify themselves than the descriptions that the artist himself has
his objects is important for Mario Merz as well. (with ice, sound recordings, smoke, etc.); like given. On the other hand, as is the case with
But what is of even greater importance is the Kounellis, he has also made use of living Prini, there are many artists who place us in
internal process according to which the things animals (doves). But now that his work has front of an art that renders it difficult to give
are born and grow. Merz's works are complex become more precise, its specific characteristic information about it insofar as it
structures. At first they played on the would seem to lie in the creation of a fantastic presents itself as a new method of dealing with
opposition of light (neon) and the dull, personal iconography. With writings, sounds, information and its data. This, for example is
amorphous quality of various other materials and sensitive materials, Calzolari creates a thick the subtitle of one of Prini's works in progress :
(straw, glass, etc.); later we find the free network of lyrical references to his own `Emilio Prini/magnet/photographic series/
juxtaposition of ephemeral materials (earth and magical, enchanted presence in the world. group of two thousand leaves from September
sticks of wood) all held together with stucco. Similar works have also been done by 1968/(4 phases)/a normal camera photographs
The first 'igloo' dates from 1968; it bears the Giuseppe Penone. He too tends to give the continually until it breaks down/life expectancy
neon sign 'If the enemy concentrates, they lose shape of myth to the traces of his passage of the camera/20,000 snapshots/the time
ground; if they expand, they lose force' (Giap). through the world, and in nature especially. necessary for the execution of the work/10 years/
The iron structure of the igloo was then varied But what is most important is that he seems to annual series of 2,000 elements/technique/black
with the use of other materials : clay, fabric, and work in terms of a concept of animism. and white photographs/Ferrania sensitive paper/
coal. And it is on this structure that Merz Everything is the sky for him; trees can learn to
applies Fibonacci's law, later to be checked read; birds peck at an enormous piece of
out with clay moulds of the branches of trees. bread abandoned on a roof to discover a metal
This is the way in which Merz describes his word that is concealed within it, etc. Animism
`system' : and pantheism are naturally pretexts for the
`In the year 1202, Fibonacci, a monk living first person transference of the artist into the
in Pisa during the construction of the Leaning growth process of the entirety of creation.
Tower, published a treatise on mathematical The art object is nothing other than the trace
series which had a structural bearing on the left by this poetic fusion. At any rate, Penone is
architectonics of the tower. My own work is the only artist who openly acts not from nature
based on this same Fibonacci series in which but for nature.
numbers develop in progressive series towards Emilio Prini has not made many works, but he
infinity, starting from number one. In their has always hit the target whenever he has
progress, each preceding number is included in enucleated an action or an object out of his
the number following it. This compounding of chaotic creative procedure. It is Prini who has
each number in the one that follows it is the made the greatest effort to identify aesthetic
basic rhythmic law of numbers in which experience with the biological structure of the
Fibonacci sees the mechanics of organic growth individual, and this is particularly true of the
in nature.' 1967-1968 'Project for a travelling object (five
There are still two other artists who make points of light on Europe)' and above all for a
pieces dominated by internal laws; they make series of hypotheses for actions realized with
use of chemical and physical processes that often photographs and lead weights, and called
modify their works in the course of time. The `Statues'. It is impossible to list here the dozens Giuseppe Penone
Contact Lenses 197o
sculptures of Giovanni Anselmo present of actions for which we have remaining no more Galleria Sperone, Turin
169