Untitled (Smoke), 1990
Etching, smoked glass, in galvanized iron box, 60 x 45 x 7.5 cm (23½ x 18 x 3 in). Edition of 25, signed and numbered.
In Jannis Kounellis' oeuvre – and in this edition – smoke, as the trace of fire, becomes a symbol of an elemental, ephemeral gesture. Kounellis’ engagement with Mediterranean culture and its myths evokes an association with Prometheus – the bringer of fire who bestowed knowledge and civilization upon humanity. The transience of smoke points to impermanence, while its presence renders the invisible visible and explores the boundaries between matter and immateriality.
