Panorama 1955

Cy Twombly made this painting, "Panorama," using paint and probably whatever else he could get his hands on. It’s like he’s trying to find a new way of seeing, not just showing what’s already there. The surface is dark, almost like a chalkboard, with these frantic white lines all over. They look like scribbles, or maybe equations, or even a secret language. I love how the texture seems built up, layers and layers of paint creating a history right there on the canvas. Look at one of those looping white marks – how it starts thick, then fades, almost disappears, then reappears again, like a thought being worked out in real-time. It reminds me of Joan Miró, but with a much darker mood. Both artists, though, are interested in letting the unconscious take over, embracing the weird and messy side of being human. And isn't that the most interesting part?