Cy Twombly

Cy Twombly

Red Painting, 1961, oil, crayon, and pencil on canvas

Untitled, 1968, house paint and crayon on canvas

Cy Twombly evaded the dominant styles of the time: Pop, Abstract Expressionism, and Minimalism in favor of his large-scale, calligraphic, graffiti-style paintings.

He works in mixed media: sprayed graffiti-like paint on solid fields of gray, white, or tan. They appear to have been scribbled by a child.

His influences of each individual work are suggested in the titles. He sites the lines and smudges as the subjects of the paintings. He paints with cultural memory and sometimes evokes landscapes through use of color.

During the 1960s, his exhibitions were negatively received; people said their kid could paint that. His later works have been categorized into Romantic Symbolism.

Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst

Requiem, White Roses, and Butterflies, 2008

spin painting, 1995

Damien Hirst is internationally renowned for his sculptural works but also creates well-known paintings! He shows immense influence of Francis Bacon. His first painting show received one of the worst critical responses ever. It was called "shockingly bad" and "first year art student".

He does spot paintings, which are just colored spots on walls, boards, and canvas. Also spin paintings, which are just SPIN ART that you can buy at Michaels. These can both be categorized as non-representational.

In his other works, he uses dark colors and deep shadows, referencing the popular themes of death and theatricality.