In this artwork Black and Light, a single element measuring over two metres high, composed of two interlocking sections of black and white mirror, is enclosed in a gilded wood frame. The central black form, a silhouette of a simplified head that almost verges on abstraction, offers a compelling meditation on the portrait medium that is underpins much of Pistoletto’s oeuvre. Indeed, this work alludes to the artist’s early oil paintings from 1961, titled The Present – in which the artist painted his likeness directly on a canvas painted black and layered with a thick coat of transparent varnish to create a reflective surface. These paintings were the catalyst for the breakthrough of the Mirror Works made by polished stainless steel. Thus, Black and Light allows for a moment of meditation upon the transformation of the artist’s illustrious career, harking back to the early foundations of his practice, while showing the continued development and innovation that characterises his tireless work of today.