In studio (ora come allora), 2025

The easel divides the space of the work into two complementary parts, each distinguished from a different support plane (reflecting on one side, transparent on the other). Both of the parts feature various objects in random order: arranged before the easel are an hourglass, magnifying lenses, a small precious black stone, spheres, mirrors and cosmic images; located behind the easel are overturned canvases, primed canvases with pencil drawings, a miniature model of a Thonet chair (exactly the same as the chair that the artist uses in his studio), the photographic reproduction of a man intent on drawing, a partial view of the sky, and the image of an eclipse. The easel acts as a support for a double image of the artist’s studio (recto and verso respectively show a shot reverse-shot), at the centre of which, in the area corresponding to an easel, the view of an empty exhibition space is applied. The bar on the easel holds a pair of eyeglasses that, like the Thonet chair, allude to the author.
The apparently complex scene suggests the everyday context of the artist’s studio, sheltered from the world, outside of time, his gaze crowded with ideal visions (represented by the sphere and the cosmic iconography), waiting for the pieces of a mosaic that is coming into being to be composed in a whole as yet unknown. In the author’s own words: “Between the walls of my studio I can count on my most dependable work tools (i.e. pencils, set-squares, compasses…). There, I can pretend to exist, I can put my papers in order: or rather, I can stage fake, calculated disorder so that I will believe I am busy working”.1
The studio is a recurring theme in Paolini’s work, starting from his 1965 photo works set in his studio at the time, up to his recent production, especially on paper.2

1 First published in Id., “Conto alla rovescia”, in A. Mattirolo, G. Paolini, L'Ora X. Né prima né dopo, exhibition catalogue, Naples, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Sala della Meridiana (Naples: Mondadori Electa, 2009), pp. 16-17.
2 As concerns his large-scale works, cf. in particular the photo works from 1965 (GPO-0076, GPO-0077), some works from 1998 (GPO-0800, GPO-0801), 2006 (GPO-0935), 2009 (GPO-0976), and 2010 (GPO-1001), with images of the current studio located in Via Po, also used for the work in question, as well as some recent works (GPO-1106, GPO-1154). Among the works on paper, cf. in particular GPC-1355, GPC-1521, GPC-1948, GPC-2157, GPC-2262, GPC-2297, GPC-2298, GPC-2355, GPC2399, GPC-2505, GPC-2619, GPC-2621, as well as some examples with images of the studios of other artists (GPC-1276, GPC-1533, GPC-1914, GPC-2161, GPC-2162).