Cy Twombly

Cy Twombly (his real name was Edwin Parker Twombly) was an American painter and sculptor, one of the most incomprehensible artists, whose paintings cause constant debate and discussion in the art world. Most of his works are white canvases, covered with multi-coloured scribbles, lines and chaotic spots. The artist often uses various inscriptions in his works, making them look like urban elemental art of graffiti. Moreover, the name and meaning of the works are referred to ancient myths, classical paintings and cultures of various nationalities.

As a young artist, Cy Twombly made a very unexpected decision – to leave the United States, where he was born and raised, and permanently move to Italy. There, among the extraordinary natural beauties and rich culture, the artist created the majority of his notable works that combine aspects of both traditional European sources and new American painting.

Cy Twombly is one of the most expensive contemporary artists: his works sold at various auctions brought about $ 90 million to his author. In spite of this, the artist’s creativity is striking in simple or even primitive expressive means. His paintings are not like works of art but rather resemble children’s drawings. However, this simplicity and freedom of expression, improvisation on canvas create the attractiveness characteristic of the author’s works, for which collectors pay millions of dollars at auctions.

Key ideas:

– The creative manner of the artist is very peculiar. It consists in the chaotic application of lines, scratches and colour spots on the canvas, which carry a strong emotional charge and expression. The artist often used various inscriptions in his works, sometimes similar to street graffiti, and sometimes to scribbles of a child who is only learning to write. In his later works, Cy Twombly used words and numbers that partly clarified the meaning of his painting.

– Twombly painted most of his works on canvases covered with pure white paint. He covered his sculptural compositions with this colour. The artist said that the white colour reminded him of classical sculpture, which is the basis of all visual art, including his work.

– All Twombly’s creations are based on mythological themes, paintings by old masters and the traditions of Neoclassicism. The connection with history and art is expressed not only in the names of works but also symbols, sometimes difficult to distinguish, deeply hidden under the chaotic layering of tangled strokes and lines.

– Creating a painting was always a special process for Cy Twombly. On the canvas, he freely expressed his emotions and thoughts. The artist perceived the canvas as a surface onto which he can freely project his psychological and physical energy with a brush. Twombly gave his works an unusual name – “psychograms.” It is a direct reflection of the artist’s inner world.

– Twombly’s work is closely linked to American Abstract Expressionism. It is intuitive and spontaneous, as we can see in the free use of the line and no less free colour solutions. The artist’s bright colours flow, pour and spray, spreading to the surrounding space – it seems that they go far beyond the canvas.