Philip Guston at MFAH

 

I wanted to see the exhibition for a pretty shallow reason. David Sedaris mentioned Philip Guston in his last book, in the context of owning some of Guston's work and wishing he had bought more. That was enough to pique my interest in seeing the MFAH show. 

An image of the painting, The Ladder (above), was on the MFAH website, and my initial thought was, "cartoonish." Like all honest people, I never trust my instincts about art, and I wondered what I was really 'supposed' to see. To my relief, "cartoonish" was a word that came up a lot during the docent-led tour.

The show was a comprehensive review of Guston's career. He changed styles dramatically over time. The earliest works shown were in the Mexican muralist style of Diego Rivera; then there were some paintings that were modern takes on Renaissance forms and themes. His depiction of the Guernica massacre (Bombardment, above) was especially intriguing.

I was left a little cold by his abstract expressionist work. [FWIW Guston supposedly preferred the term "New York School."] The paintings, which were the best sellers of his career, seemed like the epitome of the anxious question on every gallery-goer's mind: "Is that art?" I think it's important to be honest when we're perplexed by art--as long as you're keeping an open mind, it's the beginning of a real dialogue. Unfortunately, those paintings just didn't reach me. But I could see that he was starting to use the same palette that came through in his next phase: a vivid blue that takes the foreground instead of the background; a pink that suggests both living flesh and vulnerability.

The latter part of his career was when he returned to figurative painting, in that "cartoonish" style. He stayed locked into heavy themes--racism, disability, and the approach of death. But there is still some playfulness about them that makes them enjoyable. Skinny legs, shoes, and cigarettes are motifs run amok.

Still, just when you think you've happened on something light, like Untitled (Cherries) (above), you've been deceived. Cherries last a hot minute once they're picked, and here, he's showing the stems as nails or thorns. It's a pop sensibility with a fatalist edge. I can't believe this guy wasn't more popular--he was just way ahead of his time.