Executed in 2023. 

Italian artist Irene Cattaneo studied design at Central Saint Martins in London and has oscillated between fashion and design. After conceptualizing a collection of wearable art, which centered on her fascination with light and nature, Cattaneo transitioned into product design, initially working in glass, and recently progressing to stone and mixed metals. The present work is a Carrara marble coffee table that exhibits a soft, organic form resembling a diaphanous cloud – a recurring motif within the artist’s work. Cattaneo’s clouds possibly explore her interest in contradiction as a way to visualize the division between material and meaning. The ephemeral, intangible quality of the cloud has been rendered solid through the use of a smooth, durable material. This combination of hard and soft creates a sense of tension that emphasizes the weightlessness of the cloud, which naturally exists in a constant state of flux; here it becomes a solid body that appears anchored to the ground upon which it sits. By molding the immaterial, Cattaneo creates sculptural, poetic clouds that escape clear definitions of functionality and form. Additionally, the title – A misspelled Cloud is a Could, reinforces Cattaneo’s sense of play with regard to her practice and adds a layer of whimsy to her works, which consistently subverts the viewer’s expectations of what constitutes traditional aesthetics.