For Italian artist Frederico Pietrella, time is a framework that can be measured in the time it takes to create a work of art. And one of the mediums he uses to illustrate the concept of time is a library date stamp. As his large-scale images take a considerable amount of time to produce, he will change the stamp to reflect the current date, adding texture to illustrate his everyday images in a complex, pointillistic manner. Each image can take him up to two months to complete, and they often sell for up to €20,000 (or $26.000).
Pietrella, who now makes his home in Berlin, has long been mystified by the concept of time. So much so, it has become an overarching theme in a variety of his conceptual work. His library stamp series, marking fifteen years of work, has now paradoxically become an additional framework of time, yet it is this reminder that there is no better time to sit back and appreciate his remarkable work than right now. I just marvel at his ability to wield a rubber stamp with such dexterity.
