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The Arts Intel Report

Philip Guston

Philip Guston, The Line, 1978

Oct 5, 2023 – Feb 25, 2024
Bankside, London SE1 9TG, UK

Philip Guston moved through a number of painting styles before reaching neo-expressionism. The 1930s saw him working as a muralist with the WPA. In the 50s he embraced Abstract Expressionism, an approach he rejected in the 60s, when he began to create the cartoonlike imagery—implacable and haunting—that stunned the world. With his new figurative style came a shift into sinister territory: hooded figures, disembodied limbs, cities made of old shoes and lone light bulbs. This important show—organized by four major museums—is the first Guston retrospective in almost 20 years, and the Tate Modern is its last outing. —Elena Clavarino

Photo: © The Estate of Philip Guston, Courtesy Hauser & Wirth