Muto, 1985
Etching with aquatint and sugar lift on Arches Cover White rag paper, with collage of black fur, 155 x 87 cm. Edition: 35, signed and numbered.
Muto by Mimmo Paladino is a haunting portrait of an emaciated figure – part myth, part apparition – its hand raised to its mouth in a gesture of silence or secrecy. The addition of collaged black fur, extending like horns or antennae beyond the etched frame, lends the figure an unsettling, animalistic presence. As with much of Paladino’s work, Muto draws on ritual, the archaic, and the symbolic, evoking an atmosphere that is at once timeless and otherworldly. The work's title – Italian for "mute" – underscores its themes of voicelessness, mystery, and inner expression beyond language. Bold and enigmatic, it exemplifies Paladino’s unique ability to merge emotional intensity with formal innovation.
This work is part of the collection of MoMA, New York.
