Paint & Process: Philip Guston in the Studio
January 26, 2012 § 9 Comments
“Destruction of paintings is very interesting to me and almost crucial. Sometimes I find that what I destroyed five years ago I’ll paint now, as if when the thing first appears you’re not ready to accept it. There’s some mysterious process here that I don’t even want to understand. I know that if I stopped painting and became a psychologist of the process of making I would probably understand it more but it wouldn’t do me any good. I don’t want to understand it like that, analytically. But I know that there is some working out that takes place in time but it’s not given to me to perfectly understand it; it’s illegal.
The first thing always looks good, then you start doubting it. I started this painting a few days ago; it went alright. It was almost finished in a day. But I came in late that night and I liked the left part. I didn’t like the right part. I started changing the right part and something happened that felt better than the left part, so then I changed the left part and before I knew it, the whole painting vanished! The painting that was almost finished didn’t look bad; it looked alright but it looked almost too good. It was as if I hadn’t experienced anything with it. It was too much of a Painting. I don’t mean that I need to struggle always with it… but it felt to me as if it were additions – this AND that AND this AND that. What I’m always seeking is some great simplicity where the whole thing is just there and can’t be just this and that and this and that.”
Courtesy of San Francisco Museum of Art
Philip Guston’s paintings and drawings
Thanks for the post. Guston was such a great painter. There was a method to his madness.
I feel like I know the man. I studied with one of his students, Robert D’Arista, who used to tell wonderful stories about “Philip.” D’Arista was in his twenties and found himself alone in a class with Guston at Boston U. so they held the class in a bar across the street.
I met Guston in Baltimore in 1975 at Grace Hartigans house.I was mad he had abandoned Abstraction. I said so . He turned to me ,wasnt mad but said in a gentle way,Ive paid my dues and dont owe anybody anything.I can do what I like and will do just that.Im enjoying it.
Thanks for that story, Patrick.
Hi Frank,There is so much good stuff in there about the act of painting.I showed my students and they hated the work and Gustons uglyness.They have some growing to do, altho I m not a fan of everything he did.Im doing an interview for Painters Table in June and think a lot about this quote.Keep up the good work,its really enjoyable ,Best Patrick Jones
Thanks, Patrick. I appreciate your comment. Thank god for student dissent. Keeps us on our toes. Looking forward to your interview.
great anecdote about Guston-
It’s a great bit of film – i would really like to see the whole documentary.
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