razorshapes:Cy Twombly - Nine Discourses on Commodus “The cycle is based on cruelty, madness and eve
razorshapes:Cy Twombly - Nine Discourses on Commodus “The cycle is based on cruelty, madness and eventual murder of the Roman emperor Aurelius Commodus (161-192 AD). The conflict, opposition and tension dominate the composition of the paintings. Two spirals of matter are the core of each piece, which varies in mood, from the serene and similar to the clouds until the bleeding wounds culminating in an ecstatic apotheosis in the final panel structures. Despite the intrinsic aesthetic of chaos and instability of the paintings, a highly controlled structure dominates its composition. The gray background acts as negative space that makes up the bloody swirls of paint and scabs of coagulated impasto.This neutral backdrop, the line runs along the middle of the paintings serves as orientation mark to subdivide the composition.” -- source link