Untitled (Peonias series) 2007

Cy Twombly made this ‘Untitled’ piece, from his ‘Peonias series,’ with paint on canvas. The color is really singing here, isn’t it? I love the way those red marks seem to float on a ground of pale yellow. It’s like they’re breathing, expanding and contracting in space. Those dripping lines draw your eye downwards but, at the same time, they're like rain in a dream. Look at that cluster on the lower left. The paint is so thick in places, almost sculptural, yet it feels so light. And see how Twombly leaves these little gaps, these hints of yellow peeking through? It’s not just color; it’s about touch, about layering, about revealing and concealing. Twombly does something similar to what I try to do in my own work. There's a push and pull, a constant negotiation between intention and accident. Like with Joan Mitchell, it’s about how the painting makes itself, in a way, an ongoing conversation across time. The painting breathes.