Remembered Light: Cy Twombly in Lexington

The idea of Sally Mann remembering Twombly through his studio is appealing, since he was such an important presence in her life, they are both significant artists, and it connects so well to the themes of love and loss at the core of her work. However, in spite of their personal connection, we do not see much of Twombly in this book. There are no photographs of him. The closest are a pair of loafers. We also barely see his paintings, which is unexpected, since those are photographs of his studio, after all. Twombly's presence is evoked in a (too?) subtle way.This work is a departure from Mann's other books in several ways. It was not even meant as a body of work, so I don't think it is fair to judge them as a "project". The images are not heavily emotionally charged, nor appear to be as deliberate as in her other work. Instead, they have a casual quality. This is reflected in the choice of media as well. Instead of a single homogenous treatment, they were made with color film, digital images (presumably), inkjet prints, silver gelatin prints, platinium prints, you name it. But this is less a hodgepodge as it may sound, since the images are organized in consistent porfolios, which each say something a bit different about the studio, and eventually the man, if one studies the images attentively.I think this book is mostly for those who are already fans of Mann and would be interested in seeing another facet of her work. It is certainly not a book for learning anything about Twombly nor Mann's main artistic contributions. By the way, this smallish book is a overpriced compared to the recent retrospective from the same publisher, which has a larger trim and three times the number of pages for about the same price.

I have to begin by saying that I am a huge fan of Sally Mann's work. I have loved everything she's done so I was very excited to get this book in the mail. I am also a big fan of Cy Twombley's. I have not read the essays yet so that may help but I thought the photos were disappointing. There were either too many of them or too many that felt repetitive. I think they might have been helped by a better printing. The reproductions are flat and listless. A light varnish on the images would have been an improvement. Maybe Mann intended for them to be reproduced this way but I would certainly expect, considering the richness of her past work and the vibrancy of Twombley's, better print quality. I am sympathetic to the impulse to photograph her friend's studio. It's a wonderful idea and there are a few that capture his spirit, but for the most part, they feel like grab shots rather than the meticulously crafted images that we have come to expect of this exceptional photographer. I also think it was clear that color is not her strength. I was also bothered by the shift in tone and format. Personally, I think the book and the body of work would have been much stronger if she had stuck to one format.

I admit to being ignorant of Cy Twombly's work until I saw the publication of this book. But Sally Mann is, in my opinion, one of the greatest living American photographers and I was immediately interested. I did an online search of Twombly and I was immediately impressed with his work. I love his use of color and the "scribbles and dribbles" in his paintings. The best compliment I can offer is that viewing Twombly's work simply makes me happy.While Sally Mann became famous (or infamous) for her "Immediate Family" photographs, in my opinion, her subsequent work has really been more mature and interesting. Works like "Deep South", "Motherland" and "What Remains" showcase her insight and talent much more effectively than the early family pictures. It's a bit odd that I like her later work so much since it's more Neo-Romantic than I usually can bear. Yet her work has moved me deeply and I will always respect her for those photographs.But this project is a failure. The photos fail to convey emotion or insight. First of all, photographs of Twombly is nowhere to be found. The images here are of his studio work areas. No paintings, complete or unfinished, are depicted. The essence of Cy Twombly's jubilant paintings is nowhere to be found here. In fact, more is missing from this project than is presented. Mann's large format, hand-coated glass plate style with its soft gray tones and soft focus doesn't work. When she substitutes digital techniques for her handmade techniques, the tones and colors follow the same muted style of her collodion process. The clash of Mann's somber style and tones and Twombly's unseen inherent exuberant colors just doesn't work.I have not read the text accompanying the photographs but I cannot imagine it offers anything worthwhile.Great artists have failures as well as triumphs. That's because they're willing to take risks. Sally Mann has taken several risks in the past and achieved some remarkable triumphs. Unfortunately, "Remembered Light" is a failure.

item great. just s described.

Two subtle masters, quietly engaging...

Wonderful book--beautiful images!

2nd Sally Mann book that disappointed me. Bought this because of my strong interest in Cy Twombly ... actually adds little to that shelf. SM is better at loaded subject matters.

Subtle and luminous. There's an understated quietude that permeates these pictures--a tranquil comment on the presence and loss of Sally Mann's mentor, Cy Twombly. The provocative and evocative qualities of Mann's previous work will not be found here. These are meditations that bring to mind Morandi, Vermeer, and Rothko. Not for everyone, thank goodness.

I'd give this book more than five stars if this was available - it's a shame the previous reviewer marked this book down.It isn't meant to be a monograph - there are plenty of books available if you simply want to see Twombly's work. Mann's work here is, in my opinion, easily up to her normal standards.From my understanding Twombly and Mann both lived/live in Virginia and, geographically close, they had a long friendship until Twombly's death. Mann, a consummate photographer, had been visiting and photographing the artist's studio over an extended period. After his death Mann again visited the studio and made further studies.This is a beautiful record of the studio of a true artist, the work of a sensitive and thorough photographic practitioner. It's work made journeying along the slow road, not like so many studies which are taken in a rush for quick publication.Then there are the writings by Simon Schama and Edmund de Waal at the beginning of the book. Succinct, appropriate, and informative. This book has been planned well, and executed brilliantly.

A great book

Professionale

Beautiful photos!

Very disappointing. As photographs they are largely indifferent and as a record of the artist or his presence they add next to nothing. The book seems to rely on Cy Twombly's name being on the cover to make it worth publishing. I like a lot of Sally Mann's other work and I'm a Twombly fan so I've had this book on my wish-list for some time but the two don't come together productively here. Sorry.