Cy Twombly: Making the Past Present – A Reflection on Art and Ideas
Sometimes I see an art exhibition and think, really? Give me a break.
On the last day of the Cy Twombly exhibition at the Getty, we decided to go. It felt like something that shouldn’t be missed—a chance to see the work of a prolific, influential artist. Surely, it was going to be fantastic.
But I was not impressed. In fact, I felt upset in a way I couldn’t immediately articulate. I spoke with two guards, who admitted they didn’t like the exhibition either and seemed relieved it was ending. In contrast, a woman I chatted with in the bookstore queue loved it. Curious, I asked her, “What did you like about the exhibition?” She replied enthusiastically, “The approach, the colors, everything.” She even bought not one but two exhibition books. I thought to myself, each to their own.
Cy Twombly is one of the most prolific and influential artists of the 20th century. He is best known for his abstract works, often featuring bold brushstrokes, scribbles, and vibrant colors.
The exhibition showcased around 60 paintings, drawings, and sculptures spanning five decades of his career, from 1950 to 2010. Most of the paintings were large, with white or light beige surfaces punctuated by scattered spots of color, scribbled words, or letters. It was a well-curated presentation, complete with ancient bust sculptures, photographs, and written explanations designed to help visitors understand what inspired Twombly.
The exhibition delved into Twombly’s lifelong fascination with the ancient Mediterranean region, tracing his imaginative responses to classical texts and artifacts. Clearly, Getty’s curators made every effort to contextualize his work and highlight the interplay between the ancient and the modern.
Yet, as I moved through the galleries, something deeply troubled me. It wasn’t just that I failed to see the beauty in many of the works—it felt as though Twombly hadn’t even attempted to create something aesthetically pleasing. The exhibition seemed to prioritize the artist’s ideas and intellectual concepts over the art itself. And this, I realized, is a hallmark of conceptual art.