Untitled 1990

This untitled painting by Cy Twombly is a riot of color and gesture, a real testament to artmaking as an unfolding process. Look at how the paint's been applied, thick and creamy in some areas, almost translucent in others. You can practically feel the physicality of the medium. The strokes vary from delicate touches to bold, sweeping gestures, especially those forceful dark green/black lines. It's like Twombly is using the paint itself to express emotion, almost violently. That contrast between delicate color and forceful mark making, you see that play out in a lot of Joan Mitchell's work too. These are painters who aren't afraid to embrace ambiguity. They understand that the real meaning of a painting isn't about providing answers, but about inviting us to ask questions.