A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life
A Podcast about Italy, travel, writing, books, gardens and food.
Celebrates creative living, beautiful conversations and the journeys we need to make along the way.
Interest in slow living, slow food, creativity, art, cooking, books and ultimately living the good life!
A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life
Pentimento - Artist's Lives, Reflections, Muse Italia
"I fall in love with places" - Cy Twombly
While still reflecting on the life of Cy Twombly, I muse over a few artists that have been influenced by Italy (and my artistic process). There is just something about the visual beauty and the history of Italy that seems to impact many artists, writers and creatives.
I go further into thoughts on the art of Cy Twombly and Robert Rauschenberg throwing his art into the Arno River in Florence after a disparaging critic’s comment, and how artists move forward regardless of popularity or understanding. Generally the people catch up later. For some like Julian Schnabel they hit their stride early.
Schnabel said, Italy had a “massive impression” on him. He lived in Milan earlier in his career creating work influenced by place and the landscape. A visit to the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua had such an impact on his psyche he changed the way he painted. You can see this shift in his documentary in Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait. He later purchased land in New York City and turned it into a Venetian Palazzo. Palazzo Chupi is bright pink building and an ambitious manifestation of his own artistic temperament. The visual beauty of Venice influences many of us in varying ways.
I go on a personal journey on this episode contemplating the life of the artists and my own. Later in the share I muse over the life and inspirations of Cy Twombly, Julian Schnabel, Basquiat and Picasso.
"blurring, blotching, writing and inscribing were purposely obscured by superimposing" - Thierry Greub on Twombly's painting process
Pentimento .... "Pentimento: a visible trace of earlier painting beneath a layer or layers of paint on a canvas".
"The word pentimento is derived from the Italian 'pentirsi', which means to repent or change your mind. Pentimento is a change made by the artist during the process of painting. These changes are usually hidden beneath a subsequent paint layer".
Musical Scores by Richard Johnston
Shownotes at MichelleJohnston.life
© 2025 A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life
Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2025