Moment of Cy Twombly zen
From a New York Times article on a retrospective of the artist's work in Houston:Link (thanks Susannah Breslin!)He sat facing the gallery's largest painting, an allegory of Orpheus' trip to the underworld, 13 feet high and a whopping 52 feet long. Painted between 1972 and 1994, it has been called by assorted names, including, "Say Goodbye, Catullus, to the Shores of Asia Minor" - a reference to the Roman poet who, like Mr. Twombly, deftly mixed learned allusion and earthy expression.
With evident pleasure, the artist recounted the painting's effect on a young Frenchwoman who visited the gallery some years ago. The lone guard found her standing in front of the vivid whorls, scattered verses and bright splatters of color, totally nude.
"Right here in this room!" Mr. Twombly affirmed. He was delighted, he said. "Wouldn't you be? That's pretty good. No one can top that one. Come on. How many people ?"
His words then evaporated like the mysterious markings that twitter across his works before seemingly lifting off and wafting away.
The guard, Guillermo Leguizamon, recalls gathering his wits and telling the museum visitor, "I can admire your beauty, madam, but if you don't put on your clothes, you'll be more famous than Cy Twombly himself." She dressed and departed, leaving a message in the guest book: "The painting makes me want to run naked."
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Xeni Jardin
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