Cy Twombly: A Retrospective [Paperback]

Kirk Varnedoe (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

American painter Cy Twombly, who has lived in Rome since 1957, embraces abstraction, figuration, writing and calligraphy in a seductive art of great expressive power and depth. In his canvases, turfs, swirls, twig bundles, ideograms and ornamental motifs confront one another in implied narrative; biomorphic entities resembling orifices, polyps, fringes or erupting effluvia conjure a protean sexuality; delicate cross hatchings and tracery interacting with graffiti or detached letters and words evoke multiple associations. Combining 187 plates, 94 in color, and an eloquent essay by Varnedoe, chief curator of painting and sculpture at New York City's Museum of Modern Art, this rewarding catalogue of a MOMA retrospective exhibition covers the full spectrum of Twombly's art, from spare white-on-gray paintings to fragile clay sculpture to the epic pictures inspired by Homer's Trojan War.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This catalog, published in conjunction with the major retrospective of Twombly's career at the Museum of Modern Art, provides context for the re-evaluation of the artist's long career. Curator Varnedoe traces Twombly's early career in Virginia, his studies in Boston and New York and at Black Mountain College in North Carolina, and his eventual move to Italy. Twombly's canvases are at times both hieratic and childlike; the numerous color and black-and-white illustrations complement Varnedoe's at times enigmatic commentary, which cuold have provided more interpretation. Varnedoe will not convert unbelievers in Twombly's work. Recommended for larger collections of art or for those who do not invest in the ongoing catalogue raisonne series prepared by Heiner Bastian (Cy Twombly: Catalogue Raisonne of the Paintings, 1992+).
Martin R. Kalfatovic, Smithsonian Inst. Lib., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 175 pages
• Publisher: Museum of Modern Art (September 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870706217
• ISBN-13: 978-0870706219
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,440,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fitting Homage to One of the Unique Artists of Our Time, February 18, 2003

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cy Twombly: A Retrospective (Hardcover)

CY TWOMBLY is honored in this very beautifuly designed and executed retrospective book. Twombly has been incredibly consistent throughout his career showing us the subtle visual line between the innocence of the child's untutored mark and the angst-ridden metaphysical searching for meaning that his canvases can evoke. Dismissed for a time as an artist who laughed as he displayed his large scribble paintings, Twombly has taken his place among the true greats of 20th Century art. And much of this stature is confidently examined and explained in Kirk Varnedoe's illuminating essay. Twombly's close relationship with Robert Rauschenberg and the influences of Giacometti and Schwitters, Motherwell and Kline, and even dancer Merce Cunningham and composer John Cage are explored with candor and intelligence! His life is sensitively followed and his paintings are given the honor they deserve by placing them with a great deal of negative space in this volume on fine paper and design. The book, another catalogue for a 1995 exhibition at MOMA, is an artwork in and of itself. An elegant and lasting memoir of a fine artist.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars strikingly original, at once mysterious and visceral, July 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Cy Twombly: A Retrospective (Paperback)

certainly it is difficult for one who has not attempted to translate intense emotion or passion into a simple form, such as a gesture, a line, a stroke of color, paint applied directly by hand... to define the essence of a feeling, or a time past, or a love felt, or a life lived, in a most direct and sensual manner. these are the things cy twombly has spent over thirty years perfecting. what appears to some as "something my kid could do" is, in fact, a complete and sophisticated language. indeed, the very nature of his paintings' seemingly primitive, but wonderfully natural appearance is, in itself, an achievement of magnificent proportions. most books cannot capture the power of an artists ouvre, but this is a great introduction. for a real experience however, may i suggest visiting the philadelphia museum of art which has "50 days at ilium" on semi-permanent display, or travel to houston to see the museum dedicated exclusively to twomblys' work, thanks to the de menil foundation.

michael thoresen

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best value of Cy Twombly books, May 10, 2004

By 

Harbeth Love "Art & music nut" (Ulsan, Korea) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cy Twombly: A Retrospective (Hardcover)

Hello, Twombly lovers!

I am a huge twombly admirer & have more than 20 twombly books. This one is the best value IMHO. Everythings excellent. print & photo quality, amount of works & its selection, information & writing...
Of course I,myself regard Catalogue Raisonne as the best but cost too much to get that(also hard to find- I bought mine while I was traveling abroad). For the fans of twombly like me, I recommend these and Harald Szeemann's book(Mine is german pressed-not sure about american version.) strongly which also have great works not shown on other books. And I was quite happy when the 50 years of drawing book came out while ago but I definitely felt the french version's better in a sense of printing quality(beautiful...) while I couldn't read French - contents not same with american version.(frustrated but still satisfied with printing quality)

Keep beeing happy through Mr. Twombly's aesthetic serenade.

P.S) Oh! Get the hardcover version if you can.(Far better than paperback version. also great feeling the carmine color surface inside the mylar cover... too picky? :)