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.

Cy Twombly

Categorized in : Taken Done Liberty

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?

time inspirational art

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.

lines lonely feelings

Every line is the actual experience with its own unique story. by Cy Twombly

Every line is the actual experience with its own unique story.

lines unique stories

I had my freedom and that was nice. by Cy Twombly

I had my freedom and that was nice.

nice

And we who have always thought of happiness climbing, would feel the emotion that almost startles when happiness falls.

climbing emotion fall

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.

cutting garden hate

When I work, I work very fast, but preparing to work can take any... by Cy Twombly

When I work, I work very fast, but preparing to work can take any length of time.

length preparation art

I never really separated painting and literature. by Cy Twombly

I never really separated painting and literature.

painting literature

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.

oil use hands

I would’ve liked to have been Poussin, if I’d had a choice, in an... by Cy Twombly

I would’ve liked to have been Poussin, if I’d had a choice, in another time.

another-time has-beens choices

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.

lucky looks years

I listed to Tchaikovsky. He is both kitsch and profound. I love t... by Cy Twombly

I listed to Tchaikovsky. He is both kitsch and profound. I love that lack of "Good taste."

tchaikovsky kitsch profound

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.

graffiti wall writing

I used to change things in my early paintings to get the nuance or feeling I wanted, but now I plan everything in my head before I do it.

feeling everything things change

Graffiti is usually a protest - ink on walls - or has a reason fo... by Cy Twombly

Graffiti is usually a protest - ink on walls - or has a reason for being naughty or aggressive.

walls being naughty reason

I don't work 9 to 5. by Cy Twombly

I don't work 9 to 5.

work

White paint is my marble. by Cy Twombly

White paint is my marble.

marble paint white

I was brought up to think you don't talk about yourself. by Cy Twombly

I was brought up to think you don't talk about yourself.

yourself talk think you

I work in an impatient way. by Cy Twombly

I work in an impatient way.

impatient work way

To my mind, one does not put oneself in place of the past; one on... by Cy Twombly

To my mind, one does not put oneself in place of the past; one only adds a new link.

new place mind past