Cy Twombly's gestures are some of the most beloved in 20th century art. The painter, graphic artist, sculptor and photographer is prized above all for the sweeping, scribbled marks that he makes with his drawing instruments. Though mostly indecipherable, at least on a literal level, Twombly's colorful, dense gestures are compellingly articulate in their rhythm, line, allusion and mood. Deeply sophisticated and sensual, they follow in the footsteps of Western tradition while speaking resolutely in the hushed and tentative tones of the modern age, defying prevailing stylistic clichas and mediating between the old and new worlds. This exceptional volume presents 50 years of drawings by the artist, most taken from his own personal collection.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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When the Hermitage in St. Petersburg celebrated the city's 300th anniversary in 2003, they assembled a selection of 50 years of Cy Twombly's works on paper, coinciding with the artist’s seventy-fifth birthday. At first look, even the most savvy and well-heeled art lover is apt to think "my kid could do that," and there is a (very surface) bit of truth to this. Twombly, an American who moved to Rome in the 1950s, was obviously influenced by Jean Dubuffet's idea of art brut, as well as the work of Paul Klee, and of children. But it doesn't take long to see Twombly's genius. He created something very new with the pure gestures of abstract expressionism, and in this survey it's a joy to see the ways his work constantly changed, from adopting some of the formal strictures of minimalism in the 1970s to embracing vivid colors in the 1980s. Like the graffiti scratches (ancient and modern) that are perhaps Twombly’s greatest influence, it's very playful, often rather dirty work. Unlike graffiti, it's exceptionally labored over. Once you can decipher his scratchy line, you notice that the subtle interplay of words and images is matched by very few others, though the work of Raymond Pettibon and Nancy Spero do spring to mind. Assembled for the St. Petersburg's show's arrival at the Whitney Museum in New York City, this book is a joy. Simon Schalma's essay is ribald, terse and excellent, while Roland Barthes’ writing is, unsurprisingly, worth the price of the book alone. In a review for the New York Times of the show at the Whitney that this book accompanies, Holland Coter wrote that Twombly's early highly referential works are "as if Western cultural history was unfolding on the walls of a toilet stall." It's hard to think of higher praise. --Mike McGonigal
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was pleased with the quality of the reproductions. The introduction and details of Cy Twombly's life and work was informative and gave a clear picture of the man and his art. I would reccommend this book to anyone interested in the free thinking and essence of comtempory art.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Kim
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I tend to only review books that I like. I bought this one in 2009, after seeing his show at the Chicago Art Institute. It provides a good representation of his work on paper over a 50 year period. It's sizable and the images are well reproduced. I sat with a friend, after dinner, and turned every page of this book in awe. I also highly recommend the book from the show: Cy Twombly: Cycles and Seasons
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I think i was missing the thematic development behind Cy, before I bought this book. The quality of his "notes" paintings is very good.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Big Book, Little Pictures. Why?
I love Cy Twombly. He is probably my favorite American artist. I bought this book because I wanted to show people who are not familiar with Cy Twombly what I think is so amazing... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Craig S
1.0 out of 5 stars
Sheer Garbage
Now that he's dead, perhaps we can tell the truth about Cy Twombly's work: it is absolute garbage. Twombly is arguably the biggest fraud ever foisted on the art community in the... Read more
Published 22 months ago by M. Ash
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gorgeous Book
This book is absolutely gorgeous. I bought it as a gift for someone, and they were thrilled. Highly recommended!!
Published on February 5, 2010 by Laura Jane Lambert
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cy Twombly: 50 Years of Works on Paper
Purchased as a gift for my son who is a graphic arts designer. He was very pleased with it. An easy transaction.
Published on January 7, 2008 by Love the oldies
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