Innocenti

Fourteen ghostly, grimacing heads compose a gallery of truly odd “innocents”. That is the meaning of this work by Thomas Schütte, Innocenti, an adjective that denotes a certain naïveté and that ironically qualifies these grotesque portraits at times scary, at times mocking. The black and white of these figures, modelled with wax, photographed then printed on photo paper, enhances the grooves and bulges of these faces with their theatrical expressions.

The question of representation of the human figure and its expressiveness is at the heart of Schütte’s sculpted work and photography. The Innocenti series stems from his interest in “expressive heads”, inspired by Lavater’s 1778 theory of physiognomy, according to which facial features reveal the personality of an individual.

Thomas Schütte’s Innocenti series of photographs is part of the Pinault Collection. It was first shown at the 2016 “Accrochage” ("Hanging") exhibition at the Punta della Dogana.