I've already been to see this exhibition at the Haunch of Venison twice, and I love it. Here is the film of the installations
Penone's work has such sensitivity in his exploration of and work with trees. In his hands they have souls. I particularly liked the block of wood carved away to reveal it's core of branching tree. I know this isn't new, I've seen much larger examples of his in Tate Modern, but maybe the smaller scale even made it more delicate and essential.
And just as impressive, but for their huge scale, were his drawings of hugely magnified cross-sectional tree structures, graphite on matte black paper. They looked like maps, or emormous brass rubbings of even larger skin, and then as you moved and the graphite reflected the light, positives and negatives exchanged places. And when you look closely, the mark making is lively and quite loose. Very, very beautiful in a less-is-more kind of way.
Richard Long's work for me divides in two; between the representation of his walks by words (which I don't really get) and his installations, like the circles of stones, which I am drawn to. The one here that really made me reflect was the one made of a circle of rounded, white stones lying quietly side by side in one layer on the floor, bisected by a jagged line of dark grey flints, all fighting for position, balanced against one another precariously, and menacing anyone who might approach. Binary oposition in all it's force, and it works.
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