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Lingeringatthethresholdbetweenwordandimage|Tate

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Lingeringatthethresholdbetweenwordandimage
CyTwombly
ClaireDaigle
1May2008

TateEtc.issue13:Summer2008

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CyTwombly,UntitledVIIfromBacchusSeries2005
Oiloncanvas
CourtesyGagosianGalleryCyTwombly

CoincidingwithCyTwomblys80thbirthday,TateModernis
stagingthefirstretrospectiveoftheAmericanartistsworkfor
twentyyears.ClaireDaiglechartshistimesincethe1950s.

CyTwomblywithunidentifiedwork1940s
CourtesyCyTwombly

In1962CyTwombly(born1928inLexington,Virginia)paintedaworkthat
illustratesmanyoftheabidingengagementsofhispractice.Untitledisdivided

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intotwozonesbyahorizontallineabouttwothirdsofthewayup.Acrossthe
bottomedgeofthecanvas,Twomblyhasscribbledatextualfragmentgleaned
fromthepoetSappho:Buttheirheartturnedcold+theydroppedtheirwings.
Thephrase,suggestingahoveringbetweenhigherandlowerrealms,conjures
upadistantclassicalrealm,evenasthegrappling,awkwardhandrendersthe
wordsmateriallypresent.Intheupperthirdofthecanvas,theartistprovidesa
codeforviewing:awhitecircleswirledwithpinkislabelledbloodan
aggressiveredxreadsflesh,aglutinousdollopofbrownpaint,earthor
possiblyyouthadelicatediscofwispywhitepaint,cloudsandashinycoin
shapedformingraphitepencil,mirror.Beneaththiscode,Twomblyhas
rendered,withinadrawnframe,anarrayofpossibilitiesformarkmakingperse,
asthoughtosetthemapartfromthemoredirectreferencesofwords.The
elementsofthecodecomefromthreedistinctexperientialfields:theelemental
(earthandclouds),thesomatic(fleshandblood)andthesubjective(mirror).
Andtheycanbemappedontothreecorrespondingtraditionalgenresofoil
painting,respectively:landscape,figureandselfportraiture.InUntitledwesee
Twomblysinvocationofmythandpoetry,hiswaveringbetweenhighandlow
andhissustaineddwellingonthethresholdwherewritingbecomesdrawingor
painting.Perhapsmostimportantly,weseeinthispaintinghowmarksand
wordsincollaborationandcounterdistinctionconstructmeaningdifferently.
AsJohnBergerhaswritten,Twomblyvisualiseswithlivingcoloursthesilent
spacethatexistsbetweenandaroundwords.
Althoughhisworkresonatesstronglywithgenerationsofyoungerartists,
rangingfromBriceMardentoRichardPrincetoTacitaDeantoPattiSmith,ithas
ageneralpropensitytopolariseitsaudiencebetweenperplexityandunbridled
admiration.(Remembertheincidentlastsummerofawomanplantingalipstick
kissonaTwomblycanvasonshowinLyon?)Additionally,thecriticaland

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historicalreceptionhasseemedtodescribetwoTwomblysoneaboutform,the
otheraboutcontent.Somewritershaveconcentratedonthematerialityofthe
artistsmarkasaggressive,oftenillegiblegraffitiothershavefollowedthe
classicalallusionstoferretoutthereferences.Twoelementsmightserveas
metaphorsforthepredominantinterpretations:thefloatingdiscofwhitepaint
labelledcloudsstandingforthepoeticandmythologicalaspects,andthe
scatologicalheapofbrownpaintdesignatingearth.However,Twomblys
painterlypalimpseststracetheprogressionsthroughwhichformandcontent,
textandimageareinextricablylinked.

CyTwombly,MinOe1951
Paintoncanvas86.4x101cm

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Photo:GeoffreyClements
CourtesyRobertRauschenbergFoundationCollectionCyTwombly

EarthYouth
CyTwomblyarrivedinManhattanin1950whiletheNewYorkSchoolpaintingof
PollockanddeKooningwasinfullswing.UponRobertRauschenbergs
encouragement,Twomblyjoinedhimforthe19512sessionsatBlackMountain
CollegenearAsheville,NorthCarolinaaliberalrefuge,asiteoffree
experimentationandexchangeinanationgrowingincreasinglyconservative
duringtheColdWar.Amongtheinfluentialteacherspresentatthistimewere
CharlesOlson,FranzKline,RobertMotherwellandJohnCage.Buildingonthe
freedomaffordedbythepreviousgeneration,theyoungerartistsemphasised
libidinalenergyintegratedthroughexperience.Theyfocusedattentionon
calligraphicgestureandword/imagerelationshipsresultinginworkthatwas
moresyncretic,lessspontaneouslyautomatist.WorkssuchasTwomblysMin
Oe1951bearevidenceofthepoetOlsonsinterestsintherootsofwritingin
ancientculturesandcondensedglyphicforms.
Foreightmonthsspanning19523TwomblyandRauschenbergtravelled
throughEuropeandnorthAfrica,joinedforawhilebythewriterPaulBowles.
UponreturningtoNewYork,RauschenbergsetuptheFultonStreetstudiothat
Twomblysometimesshared.EleanorWardinvitedthetwoartiststoexhibitat
herStableGallery.AseriesofTwomblysworksonlightgroundsdatingto1955
weregivencurioustitlesfromalistcollaborativelycompiledbyTwombly,
RauschenbergandJasperJohnsCriticism,TheGeeks,Academy.Here,
pencilandcrayonlinesareinscribedintoviscouslightgreyishbrownpaint.
Amongtheanxious,discontinuousthickets,basicsignsandlettersbegin
toappear.

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In1957,havingbuiltabridgeofconnectionswithItalianartistsshowing
frequentlyattheStableGallery,TwomblyleftagainforItaly,wherehewould
remainforthemostpart,thoughmakingfrequenttrips,includingmanytothe
States.HeestablishedastudioinRomeoverlookingtheColosseumandwrotea
shortstatementfortheItalianartjournalLEsperienzamoderna,whichwasto
remainthesolepublishedreflectiononhisownworkuntil2000,whenhewas
interviewedbyDavidSylvester.Inthestatement,Twomblydescribeshis
process:Eachlineisnowtheactualexperiencewithitsowninnatehistory.It
doesnotillustrateitisthesensationofitsownrealisation.Worksfromthisera
bearoutthedescription.InArcadia,forexample,itisasthoughhetapsintothe
nervoussystem,harnessinganalertstateoftension,lettingitcomethroughin
abruptburstsatalevelwhereitisgenerallyinhibitedbythebodyshigher
functions,registeringitsinsistentthrobinstuttering,jittery,whiplashlines.His
movetoItalyalsoaffordedhimreadyaccesstotheMediterraneanrepositoryof
classicalruinandreference.InworkssuchasOlympia,wordsandnames
Roma,Amoremergeoutofanetworkofmarks.

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CyTwombly,PoemstotheSea1959
Oil,crayon,pastelandcolouredpencilonpaper
Oneof24sheets,eachapproximately31x31cm
Photo:DouglasM.Parker
CollectionDiaArtFoundation,NewYorkCyTwombly

In1959Twomblyexecutedsomeofthemostspareworksofhiscareer,among
themthe24drawingsthatcomprisePoemstotheSea,doneonthecoastof
ItalyatSperlonga.Whatorderofpoems,punctuatedwithnumeralsandquestion
marks,arethese?Theseaisreducedtohorizonlineandword,scribblingsand
veilsofpaintagainstthestarkwhiteofpaper.Apersistentcompulsionisinvoked
intheviewer,thedesiretoreadwhatisthere,butnotfullymanifestintheartists
scrawledscript.Twowordsinthesedrawingsemergeintolegibility,timeand

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Sappho,asifwasheduponthebeachalongsidesudden,subtlegemflashes
ofcolourblue,orangeyellow,pinkgleamingallthemorebecauseoftheir
discretion.Inthesepages,meaningisendlesslyfrustratedandpursued.It
settlesonlyinthedistance,figuredperhapsbythehorizonlinesthatmove
acrossthetopofeachofthedrawingsinfact,simplygreyorbluelinesmade
withastraightedge,butsuggestingseascapesatthevanishingpoint.Theflat
planesofseaandpagehavebeencollapsed.Writingcomesinwaves,rolling
funnelsofcursivescript,crossedout,erased,enfoamedinsatinygreyishwhite
paint.Thesignsaregivenasnascentforms,asgesturalindicationsofthe
handsbecoming,asRolandBarthessoaptlyphrasedit.

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CyTwombly,FerragostoV1961
Oilpaint,waxcrayon,leadpenciloncanvas
164.5x200cm
Privatecollection
CourtesyThomasAmmannFineArt,ZrichCyTwombly

FleshandBlood
Intheautumnof1960TwomblyhadhisfirstsoloshowattheLeoCastelli
GalleryinNewYork.Movingintothe1960s,thickandfloridcolourcomesinto
hiswork,alongwithmultipleclassicalreferences.Duringtheprolificsummerof
1961,hereachedafeverpitch,acolouristiccrescendointheFerragosto
paintings.Athicklyencrustedpaletteofbrown,pinkandredtakesona
visceralitypairedintheworkwithabodyparcelledintopictograms:pendulous
breasts,eruptingpenises,scatologicalposteriors.From1961to1963
mythologicalmotifsappearwithincreasinginsistence:LedaandtheSwan,
Venus,Apollo,Achilles.Thislineofinvestigationculminatedin1963witha
seriesofworkscalledNineDiscoursesonCommodus,anobscureportraitofthe
megalomaniacalRomanemperorconceivedwhileTwomblywasreadingthe
FrenchnovelistAlainRobbeGrilletandlookingatthepaintingsofFrancis
Bacon.TheseworkswereshownatCastelliin1964,toaNewYorkartworld
whichhadbythenturnedtoPopandMinimalism.Followingthisexhibition,
TwomblysAmericanenthusiasmebbedforanumberofyears.Thesituation
wasquitedifferentinEurope,wherehisworkremainedacriticalsuccess.
Nevertheless,theCommodusexhibitionrepresentsacrucialmomentofrupture
intheartistscareer,for,ashecommented,itmadehimthehappiestpainter
aroundforacoupleofyears:noonegaveadamnwhatIdid.
Approachingtheendofthe1960s,Twomblyemployedamonochromegrey
ground.In1966whitewritinginloopedrepetitivescriptappearsonblackboard

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likesurfaces.Theworks,whichcontinueintotheearly1970s,resemble
rudimentaryhandwritingtests,registeringthemuscularrhythmsofthearm
relaxingandtensing,andseemtoeschewoutsidereferencebutLeonardoda
VincisDelugedrawingsandtheItalianFuturistsspatiotemporalexplorations
echothroughthem.

CyTwombly,ApolloandtheArtist1975
Oilpaint,waxcrayon,pencilandcollageonpaper
142x128cm
ImagecourtesyWorksonPaper,RomeCyTwombly

Clouds

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Beginningin1975andcontinuingintothepresent,Twomblyhasbeenworking
towardsincreasinglyintegratedcombinationsoftextandimageoflinesboth
writtenanddrawnandcolour.Therepeatedreturnstotherichresourcesof
classicalmythologyhaveremainedthecomplicationsofhiswork.Heemploys
mythasyetanotherforminconjunctionwithpainting,drawingandwriting.He
sometimessuggestsmythsfirstseminalstirring,lettingonlyhermeticfragments
cometothesurfaceasnamesfromthepast:HeroandLeander,Orpheus,
Bacchus.Atothertimesheoffersafullblownlineorverseburdenedwithallof
itsculturalandpoeticassociationslikeatreeoverripewithfruit.Roberto
CalassohaswrittenoftheGreekmyths:Allthepowersofthecultofgodshave
migratedintoasingle,immobileandsolitaryact:thatofreading.Twomblys
caveat,however,wouldbethatthegodspowerslienotinasingleact,butinthe
mobilisationofthespacebetweenreadingandseeing.
WeseethisinworkssuchasVenusandApollo(both1975).InVenusthename
ofthegoddessiswrittenoutinapalimpsestofredlineswithablossomdrawnin
crimsonoilstickbeneath.Sheisattendedbyapencildrawnlistofhervarious
names(Nadyomene,Aphrodite,Nymphaea)andofherassociations(myrtle,
poppy,apple,sparrow).Venusiswrittenoutsoastoemphasisethe
opennessoftheV,NandU.Inthependantdrawing,Apolloisdelineatedin
darkbluewithatriangle,theGreekdelta,servingasthefirstinitialanddoubling
asadirectionalpointerupward.Likethedelta,thetwolettersoofthenameare
closedforms,asagainstthefiveopenlettersofVenus.Apollo,too,is
accompaniedbyalistofhismanynamesandattributes(laurel,palm,tree,
hawk,grasshopper).Inthesedrawings,nodirectdefinitionisprovided(no
goddessofloveorgodofmeasure),butratheranetworkofallusionsgivenboth
wordandform.

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TheWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArtmountedaretrospectiveexhibitionin
1979intendedtorectifyTwomblysrelativeabsenceontheAmericanscene.
RolandBarthes,upontheartistssuggestion,wrotethecatalogueessay,The
WisdomofArt.Inhistendencytopromoteaproliferating,referenceladenand
intricateweboftext,BarthesmethismatchwithTwombly,whoseworkhe
describedasinimitable:Itisinasmearthatwefindthetruthofrednessitisin
awobblylinethatwefindthetruthofapencil.Theexhibitionmadeonlyasmall
splash,critiquedbysomeforbeingtooEuropean.TwomblywasstillinRome
andverymuchoutsidethedominantnarrativesofcontemporaryAmericanartof
thetime.
TheGreenseries,Untitled[APaintinginNineParts],isasustainedinvestigation
ofcoloursetinrelationtoRainerMariaRilkespoetryandMonetsart.Clearly
gesturingtowardlandscapepainting,thisworkseemstobethemostmimeticof
Twomblysoeuvre,yetitisalsothemostrawlymaterialsuggestingthetwo
primarypathstakeninthedecadestofollow.ThegreenUntitledwasexecuted
inthespringof1988inRome,thewoodpanelscoveredinquickdryingacrylic
(forspeedwasoftheessenceintheseshotsofpropulsivevernalenergy).Part1
functionslikeatitlepage:twolinesfromRilkesMovingForwardpencilledin
Twomblyscursivehand(andinthepondsbrokenofffromthesky,myfeeling
sinksasifstandingonfishes)flutterdowntheplaneofwhite.Fishes,writtenin
shimmerysilvergreyoilsticknearthebottomofthepanel,spansfromedgeto
edge,evenmovingontothewhiteframe.Wordsreadasthoughseenthrough
ripplingwater.Rhythmicspurtsofgraphicattentioncreateavisualanalogueto
theassonanceofthewords.Thehesitationsaroundthelettersswishlikefish.
Intheotherpanels,wordsseemtobelosingthebattlewithasuperabundance
ofverdure.Gropingfingerstreaksofdeepemeraldgreenhavethelookofsea

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grassesshimmyinginshallowwater.MonetsWaterLiliesentertheframeof
reference.Theeffectofspatialdisorientationandthecongestedsurfacesof
thesepondpanelssuggestsomethingofmetaphoricaldrowning.Themythof
Narcissus,inwhichidentityisswallowedupbymirrorreflection,lurks
somewherebeneaththeseworks.

Mirror
In1994theCyTwomblyGalleryinHouston,TexasdesignedbyRenzoPiano
fromTwomblysoriginalconceptionopenedasajointprojectbetweentheDia
andMenilFoundationstohouseanextensivepermanentcollectionofthe
painterswork.Thatsameyear,theMuseumofModernArtinNewYork
mountedaTwomblyretrospectivecuratedbyKirkVarnedoe.Itmetwithsuccess
andmarkedadramaticshiftinhisAmericanreception.Thiswasduelargelyto
thecuratorsmissionofreinstatingtheartistsgrandthemesintoanindividual
poetics.VarnedoeessentiallyreadsTwomblysworkassublimation:[Twombly]
usedthenewarthecreatedpreciselytoreforge,inawhollydifferentpoeticsof
lightandsexualitythatwasspecifictohisexperience,thelinkbetweenthe
heritageofthehumanpastandthelifeofapersonalpsyche.
ConcurrentwiththeMoMAretrospective,TwomblyexhibitedhisUntitled(Say
GoodbyeCatullus,totheShoresofAsiaMinor)1994attheGagosianGalleryin
NewYork.Themonumentalpiecemeasuringfourbysixteenmetres,a
meditationonageingandhomecoming,offersanextraordinaryarrayoftypesof
mark,rangeofchromaticdynamicsfromthefainteststainofpalegreyto
outburstsofoverripewinesandvibrantyelloworanges,andalargebodyof
associativereferences(tonameonlyafew:RobertBurtonsAnatomyof
Melancholy,Keats,Catullus,Archilochus,Turner).Thepaintingisintendedtobe

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readfromrighttoleft,likeaChinesescroll,markingthedirectionofTwomblys
returnovertheAtlanticasitdoesthemovementofsoulboatscrossingtheNile,
theprimarypictorialtheme.Thevariedmarksalsoweaveacomplexwebof
connectionstomyth,poetry,history,memory,conventionsofpaintingandearlier
momentsinTwomblyscareer.
Untitledwasundertakenoveraperiodofnearly22years,from1972to1994.
JustbeforeitwasabouttobeinstalledintheCyTwomblyGalleryinHouston,
TwomblycalledPaulWinkler,thendirectoroftheMenilCollectionhehadfound
adisusedfactorywithenoughwallspacetohangtheworkinLexington.The
paintingwasrolledupandtwoMenilcouriersweredispatchedinanicestormto
delivertheworksothatTwomblycouldreworkit,yetagain,beforeitwas
permanentlyhung.Theanxietyaroundfinishingthispaintingbeliestheartists
thoughtexpressedtoWinkler,thatitwouldbehislast.Itwasnot.Hehasbeen
extremelyprolificsince1994.TheBacchusseriesfrom2005,forexample,with
itsrushofroseatepigmentandwhorlsofgesturalenergy,showsanextra
ordinaryexuberance.InSimonSchamaswords:ThegoodshipTwombly
sailson.

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CyTwomblywithUntitled(Bolsena)1969
CourtesyCyTwombly

Signature
BeginningaroundthetimeofthemovetoRomein1957,Twomblyssignature
becameanincreasinglyintegralelementofhiscompositions,thoughoften
sullied,sometimesbarelylegible,sometimesscribbledover.Thesignature
wouldseemanappropriatewaytoconcludeameditationonTwombly.Hiswork
ischaracterisedbyashuttlingamongstylesandbyacertaindetachmentthatdo
notenableeasyextractionofasingularsignaturestyle.Sowhatifwewereto
takesomelibertieswiththepropername,Twombly?Topronounceitstwo

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syllables,thetongueperformsanawkwardwobble,thevocalisedequivalentofa
Twomblyscrawl.Thenameholdswithinittheformidableparenthesesthatframe
alife,wombandtomb,thepossibilitiesofproliferationandforeclosure.What
ofthely?Asthesuffixcharacterisingtheadverb,itcouldberead
metaphoricallyalongsideaverbunfurlinginaction(asinActionPainting),asa
termturningbacktomodifytheverb,tocommentuponit.

PosterforCyTwomblysexhibitionThreenotesfromSalalahatGagosianGallery,Rome2008
CourtesyGagosianGalleryCyTwombly

Certainly,thefortuitiesofanamearebeingpushedtoofarhere,butwhatdoes
Twomblydobutofferupwordsinalloftheirresonance:literal,metaphoric,

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corporeal,material?Hiscitationsoftenhavethevanitaseffectofgraffiti:Cywas
here.Lingeringatthethresholdbetweenwordandimage,Twomblyrenders
visiblethosethingsexperience,emotion,thebodyssharethatliebeyond
thereachofverbalarticulation.
Tags:

Folkloreandmyth
Feature

Literature

Painting

AbstractExpressionism

Poetry

Actionism

Sculpture

Minimalism

Textbasedart
PopArt

Signintocomment

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