Cy Twombly, Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons), 1993-5

Recently I had the chance to write about what first drew me to art writing. I describe the moment when contemporary art really hooked me–deep in my gut. For me, this moment became very tied with my move to New York City in 2006, when I had just graduated from college and was starting my adult life. Having moved back to the city last month, after a 3-year hiatus, I feel more than a little sentimental looking back. Living in this city is an education in itself, but I have an especial gratitude for all the art that I saw and learned about at through cultural institutions here. As I settle back in, that incredible access to culture remains as much as a draw and delight as ever.

But it all started many years ago, at the Tate Modern in London, with a series of paintings by American artist Cy Twombly:

There was a specific moment when I fell in love with contemporary art; I was 19, a prime age for falling in love, as I would discover, and on a study abroad program in England. One weekend, some other students and I visited London. Along with sites like Parliament and Big Ben, we visited the Tate Modern, not so much because it was an art museum as because it…Continue reading on Burnaway Magazine