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Sunday, July 10, 2011

Betty Ford and Cy Twombly

Two great people passed this month.  A hero for all women, Betty Ford, brought awareness to the disease of breast cancer and addiction. She championed women’s rights. Standing and fighting for what she believed, even if it meant opposing the President of the United States, her husband, Gerald Ford. Some may feel she was a bit too candid, but she was my kind of woman, and her husband loved her. I wish I could have been her friend.


                                                 III Notes From Salalah (Note II), 2005-2007 Cy Twombly ©
Cy Twombly
Twombly’s work has influenced many of today’s artists. His works are usually large-scale. Often they are calligraphic scribbles on backgrounds of mostly gray, tan, or off-white colors much like graffiti. According to Wikipedia , In the late 60’s Twombly made this work using an unusual technique: he sat on the shoulders of a friend, who shuttled back and forth along the length of the canvas, thus allowing the artist to create his fluid, continuous lines.
The layered or stacked drawing/ paintings are my favorite. The gestured marks remind me so much of the calligraphic ink writing of my Japanese sensei that I painted with when I was a young girl living in Japan.

Later I hope to write about some of today’s artists influenced by Twombly, but today I wanted to take the time to pay tribute to Cy Twombly and Betty Ford.












11 comments:

  1. Eva, I too admired Betty Ford. She was brave and strong.
    Cy Twombly was a forward thinking artist who seemed to enjoy stretching his talents as far as he could go. They both will be missed.

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  2. I am also so interested in your blog posts - here is a link to a wonderful blog I follow, reading this post was the first time I heard of Twombly. I admired Betty Ford as well.
    http://joannemattera.blogspot.com/2011/07/cy-twombly-dead-at-83.html

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  3. The shoulders of a friend? Man, I wish I had a friend that would do that, lol. They will both be missed.

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  4. Icons, following their own muse and ignoring the critics.

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  5. > Carole: Yes, they will be missed.

    > Robin: Thanks for the link and commenting :O)

    > Wax Beach Artist: I guess when you are a young male artist, full of testosterone, trying to survive on your unique art you have very persuasive powers :O)

    >Hi Leslie. I agree!! Thanks for commenting.

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  6. CT always made me laugh and the people who wrote the cataloger to his exhibitions.

    BF really moved us out of the prissy first lady era.

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  7. Hi Monica. Umm.. an unusual reaction to Twombly work, but I can see now how it could put a knowing smile on one's face. I didn't read Cy's exhibition catalog.
    Yeah for Betty :O)

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  8. Cy was one of my go to heroes...his work stays with us!

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  9. I agree Mary Anne!! I hope I have your name right Blue Sky Dreaming. My memory has been slipping a lot lately :O(

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  10. Betty Ford was a better artist than Cy Twombly.

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  11. Interesting Mark, I knew Betty was a dancer, but I did not know she painted.

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