Nine Discourses on Commodus, Part IV 1963

Cy Twombly made ‘Nine Discourses on Commodus, Part IV’ with paint and maybe a crayon or two, and you can tell he was really feeling it. The way he attacks the canvas, it's all about the gesture. The surface has this incredible energy, a real physicality to it. Look at those explosive bursts of red and yellow, almost like a cosmic event. The paint is applied so directly, so viscerally, you can practically feel the force of his hand. And then, these delicate, almost shy lines appear, like a whisper amidst the chaos. They’re scratched into the surface, revealing the gray ground beneath. It reminds me of my own painting process, how I try to capture that tension between control and abandon. You know, when I look at Twombly, I can't help but think of Joan Mitchell. She also had that incredible ability to channel emotion directly onto the canvas. Ultimately, it's this ambiguity that makes art so compelling. It's not about having all the answers, but about embracing the questions.