13 Quotes by Cy Twombly
Cy Twombly, a prolific and influential American painter and sculptor, left an indelible mark on the art world with his unique and distinctive style. Blending elements of Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism, and graffiti-like scribbles, Twombly’s works exude an emotional and poetic quality that defies conventional artistic boundaries. Often using large canvases and employing a gestural approach, he sought to convey the raw essence of human experience, emotions, and nature. Through his use of symbolic marks, scrawled words, and richly layered colors, Twombly’s art invites viewers to embark on a profound journey of introspection and contemplation. His artistic vision, while initially met with mixed reactions, gradually gained widespread recognition and appreciation, solidifying him as one of the leading figures in post-war American art. Twombly’s compelling creations continue to inspire and challenge art enthusiasts, encouraging them to explore the deeper meanings and complexities of existence through the language of abstract visual expression.
Cy Twombly Quotes
I sit for two or three hours and then in 15 minutes I can do a painting, but that’s part of it. You have to get ready and decide to jump up and do it; you build yourself up psychologically, and so painting has no time for brush. Brush is boring, you give it and all of a sudden it’s dry, you have to go. Before you cut the thought, you know?
It’s instinctive in a certain kind of painting…It’s like a nervous system. It’s not described, it’s happening. The feeling is going on with the task. The line is the feeling, from a soft thing, a dreamy thing, to something hard, something arid, something lonely, something ending, something beginning.
Every line is the actual experience with its own unique story.
I had my freedom and that was nice.
When I work, I work very fast, but preparing to work can take any length of time.
And we who have always thought of happiness climbing, would feel the emotion that almost startles when happiness falls.
I hate roses. Don’t you? It’s all right if you can hide them in a cutting garden, but I think a rose garden is the height of ick.
I never really separated painting and literature.
I work in waves, because I’m impatient. Because of a certain physicality, of lack of breath from standing. It has to be done and I do take liberties I wouldn’t have taken before.
Paint is something that I use with my hands and do all those tactile things. I really don’t like oil because you can’t get back into it, or you make a mess. It’s not my favourite thing – pencil is more my medium than wet paint.
I would’ve liked to have been Poussin, if I’d had a choice, in another time.
I love my sculptures, and I was lucky I had them for 50 years because no one would look at them and I really liked having them around.
Graffiti is linear and it’s done with a pencil, and it’s like writing on walls. But in my paintings it’s more lyrical.
― Cy Twombly Quotes
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an impact-driven creator at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 life goals around the globe. Tal's journey and recent book, The Art of Fully Living, inspired him to found Elevate Society.
