Revisiting – Resilience: Philip Guston in 1971

“Resilience may be an art, the ultimate art of living…”, states an article from Psychology Today titled The Art of Resilience. “At the heart of resilience is a belief in oneself–yet also a belief in something larger than oneself. Resilient people do not let adversity define them. They find resilience by moving towards a goal beyond themselves, transcending pain and grief by perceiving bad times as a temporary state of affairs.” This statement certainly reflects our current circumstances with the Covid pandemic. Nothing is more culturally significant than this self portrait of Guston alone in his bed surrounded by random objects and TP.

I visited Hauser & Wirth at the end of last year (2019) to see the Philip Guston showed titled “Resilience”, that coincided with the release of a new book under the same name by his daugher, Musa Mayer. Philip Guston (1913-1980), was an acclaimed Abstract Expressionist for decades and was pivotal in accelerating the transition into Postmodernism, although he vehemently resisted the classification of his artwork. From 1968-1970, he exhibited a new series of satirical works, that represented his return to figuration, with the Marlborough Gallery and it received scathing reviews. One New York Times critic referred to him as “A Mandarin Pretending to be a Stumblebum” and the figures were deemed “low”, “crude”, and “simple-minded”, nothing like his earlier works.

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His now iconic works from the highly criticized series were rooted in his fascination with evil, and meant to examine the current socio-political climate following the assassinations of the Kennedys, MLK Jr, and Malcolm X. The figures were hooded (to represent KKK members) and often rode around in jalopies in a muted, amorphous LA landscape. The Klan was highly active in the 1920s/1930s in LA and even destroyed one of Guston’s early frescos that criticized them. Guston famously disagreed with the art critics that wanted him to stick to what he knew: “I got sick and tired of all that purity—I wanted to tell stories!”.

After the negative reviews, Guston fled to Italy where he hoped to become re-acquainted with the Renaissance masters who originally inspired him as a boy. He was extremely prolific, creating the ‘Roma’ series, inspired by Roman runes, the Italian landscapes, and a hint of Morandi’s still life paintings.

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In May of 1971, Guston returned to the US amid the turmoil of Nixon’s first term. This series, entitled “Poor Richard”, was never released or exhibited during his lifetime, and remained unpublished until two decades after his death. The series includes 200+ drawings, although this exhibition only showcases 73. It follows Nixon’s life as a little boy in Whittier through the scandals of his career (pentagon papers, watergate, and ultimately his declining health). Guston replaced his nose with a phallus, obviously meaning to (satirically) offend. The first several drawings were rudimentary and immature, however, by the end of the series, they found their footing and took on a more refined, comical look. He was too nervous to release this series, fearing another scathing critique would damage his reputation and oeuvre.

In recent years, Guston’s work has seen a resurgence as parallels can be drawn between the divisive politics of 2020 and the lates 60s/70s. A high-profile Philip Guston retrospective, put together over 5 years by the National Gallery of Art, the Tate Modern, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston was recently delayed until 2024 under some controversy and concerns about the racially charged imagery. The curators stated that they needed time to “reformulate the show to better reflect the urgencies of the moment”, but have been met with a lot push back from museum professionals and the art industry. The irony is that there has never been a more poignant time than now to display these works.

Guston’s daughter, Musa Mayer, stated that Guston “dared to hold up a mirror to white America, exposing the banality of evil and the systemic racism we are still struggling to confront today.” She was saddened to hear about the postponement of the landmark show. She also mentioned Guston’s Jewish roots; His family fled at a time when people were under attack, which resonates with our contemporary dialogue. “This should be a time of reckoning… These paintings meet the moment we are in today. The danger is not in looking at Philip Guston’s work, but in looking away.” (ARTnews)

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I always plan my art days around brunch. The Hauser & Wirth LA + Manuela DTLA combo is an absolute must. The restaurant is nestled in the courtyard and the menu showcases seasonal ingredients sourced from local, SoCal farms.

They have the best brunch potatoes in LA – hands down – and a rotating seasonal cocktail selection that will not disappoint. The restaurant was named for Manuela Wirth and features commissioned works from artists Paul McCarthy, Mark Bradford and Raymond Pettibon. OH and there are chickens. Covid Update they have outdoor patio dining and the chickens are roped off.

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