Tiznit 1953

Cy Twombly made this painting, Tiznit, with paint on canvas, and it feels like he's dancing with the material. It's all about the gesture, the energy of the mark. Look at the surface, how the paint is scratched and smeared, almost like graffiti. There's a push and pull between control and chance. See how some lines are thick and drippy, while others are faint and barely there? It's not about perfection, but about the process. For me, it is the set of vertical lines to the left, they are like trees, but trees in his language. I think of other artists like Joan Mitchell or even some of the earlier Abstract Expressionists when I look at Twombly. There’s something about the freedom and experimentation that resonates with their work. But Twombly has his own unique voice. He reminds us that art is a conversation, a way of seeing and feeling the world in new and unexpected ways.