Bronzo patinato verde e seta naturale (Piede)

Luciano Fabro’s ‘Piede’ is a large bronze foot with three toes and a four-meter-long white silk trouser leg. Fabro started creating a series of feet (Piedi) in 1968, using a variety of materials: marble, metal, Murano glass and silk. The artist draws attention to the pedestal with these Piedi. The pedestal is the sturdy base on which a statue or sculpture stands, but at the same time there is something vague and indeterminate about it. As Fabro himself says: “The foot is never an element that allows expression, like the face. Neither is the foot used for meaningful gestures, like the hand, or for rhythm, because that is what the drapery is for.” Fabro uses luxurious materials for his series of feet, such as bronze and silk, and treats them with sophisticated techniques. The beauty of the material allows the meaning of the work to come forward naturally. These works may evoke many different associations, from tree trunks to the legs of prehistoric birds and mythological creatures, to Roman statues and Baroque jewels.