Tree Vase Cipresso, 2016 Polyurethane resin and papier-mâch 39.37 × 9.84 × 9.84 in.
Pelle Burattino (Puppet Skin), 2019 Polyurethane resin 47.24 × 81.5 in.
Face Mirror, 2022 Polyurethane resin, mirror 77 × 27 × 1 in.
XXL Foot Vase, 2011 Polyurethane resin 36 × 43 × 37 in.
Inspired by the homonym tree, distinctive of Central Italian landscapes, Tree Vase Cipresso is a functional vase whose texture is achieved through the same technique as Swamp Coffee Table. Natural elements are a recurrent motif in Pesce’s work—not so much as a celebration of nature per se but rather as an exploration of the idiosyncrasies and irregular qualities of the surrounding reality.
In the artist’s words, “resin is the paper of our time.” Choosing this material is a way of asserting and embodying with sincerity the epoch that Pesce identifies with and belongs to. The artist approaches the bidimensional compositions of the Skins as figurative forms of storytelling which expand his radical pursuit of social and political expressions through design. In Pelle Burattino (Puppet Skin), a puppet is accompanied by a sentence in Italian, reading: “This figure supported by wires is the last one to still believe in equality…”.
Pesce seeks to create objects that can speak and convey emotions. Belonging to a new series of mirror pieces, Face Mirror resembles a large-scale hand-mirror with anthropomorphic qualities. The beholder’s reflection enters in conversation with this happy object, which Pesce defines a “positive form” conceived to counteract and provide relief from the heaviness and suffering of the present day.
This iconic piece is exemplary of Pesce’s experimental approach to the use of materials, and testifies to his productions being themselves forms of research into the physical properties of resin. In the case of the XXL Foot Vase, the particular resin employed allows for a twenty-five minute window before it turns rigid and becomes unworkable. It is by pushing the boundaries of what the material constraints allow that Pesce uniquely achieves this kind of aesthetic result on a large scale.
Friend Skin, 1995 Polyurethane resin 84 × 69 in.
Tavolo Pezzi Feltro (Felt Pieces Table), 2019 Felt, resin base wood, resin 28.86 × 32.17 × 57.09 in.
The earliest of the three Skins exhibited here, Friend Skin belongs to an ongoing series—including lamps and furniture—portraying friends and acquaintances through design objects. Echoing Pesce’s motto that “architecture should be a portrait of those who inhabit it,” these works remark the artist’s position in favor of the use of figuration and against seriality and conformity in design, seeking to endow each creation with a unique, unrepeatable character reflecting the diversity of society.
Este Skin, 2022 Polyurethane resin 95 × 36 in.
Display of materials from the artist’s studio in Brooklyn
According to Pesce, the original idea for this type of felt-based object came to him one day as he was walking down the street in New York and noticed some fabric in the gutter soaked with street water. Captured by the plasticity of the soft folds, the artist imagined the possibility of creating hard-bodied volumes using felt soaked into resin. Tavolo Pezzi Feltro is a testament to Pesce’s pioneering pursuit of innovative production techniques to activate rigidity within softness.
Este Skin is the most recent —and perhaps the most painterly—of the three Skins in the exhibition. The image of a child at the window stages Pesce’s distant childhood memory of traveling with his family to the city of Este, a small town in Veneto, Italy, located in proximity to mountains. The artist recalls standing by the window to look over the local, enchanting hilly landscape—a moment of contemplation of natural beauty that vividly came back to his mind while working on his project for Aspen.
Gaetano Pesce’s upcoming project for the Aspen Art Museum façade began as a drawing, which is displayed here with additional sketches for the exhibition catalogue and resin invite. The artist produces a bespoke resin invitation for each of his shows; a selection from the artist’s personal archive spanning the last fourty years is presented here. For My Dear Mountains, Pesce produced a special invite which also functions as a bracelet. Handmade scale models by the artist for the works Este Skin, Face Mirror, and Leaf Cabinet are also displayed on the shelves.
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