ART ISLANDS:Ibiza-Cy Twombly

Much of Cy Twombly’s work is a direct reflection of, response to, and re-working of the ancient past that surrounded him in Rome. Inspirations came from Greek and Roman mythology, history, and places, French Neo-classicism, and contemporary graffiti on ancient local walls. Twombly was able to balance the seemingly static history of the past with his own sensual and emotional responses to it.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: MACE Archive

The exhibition “LUX” at the Museu d’Art Contemporani d’Eivissa (MACE) hosts the first exhibition of  Cy Twombly’s photographs in Spain. The exhibition brings together 40 photographs of natural subjects (landscapes, tulips, strawberries, cabbages, lemonς) taken in Rome and Gaeta from 1985 till his death. From his days as a student at Black Mountain College during the early ‘50s, and later during the ‘80s until his death, Cy Twombly captured his daily life in photographs. He recorded the verdant landscapes of Virginia and the coasts of Italy, closeup details of ancient buildings and sculptures, studio interiors, Mediterranean landscape; and still lifes of objects and flowers. In the early ‘90s, Twombly used specialized copiers to enlarge his Polaroid images on matte paper, resulting in subtle distortions that approximate the timeless qualities of his paintings and sculptures with their historical and literary allusions. Recalling the Pictorialism of photographers such as Alfred Stieglitz, the expressive nature of Twombly’s prints transcends the mechanical aspects of the medium. With blurry intensity, Twombly set his photographic sights on still life motifs, including fruit and flowers from the garden in Gaeta overlooking the sea, landscapes and portraits of friends and family. Drawing out the historical echoes in the artist’s photographs, including subtle references Julia Margaret Cameron’s atmospheric portraits and early photogenic prints by Henry Fox-Talbot, the exhibition aims to show how Twombly’s photographs were related to, but also distinct from his paintings, drawings and sculpture.

Info: Museu d’Art Contemporani d’Eivissa (MACE), Ronda Narcís Puget, s/n · Dalt Vila, Ibiza, Duration: 18/6-2/10/16, Days & Hours: June-September: Tue-Fri 10:00-14:00 & 17:00-20:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-14:00, October: Tue-Fri 10:00-16:30, Sat-Sun 10:00-14:00, www.eivissa.es