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, a mode 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 musems—is the first Guston retrospective in almost 20 years. Seventy-three paintings and 27 drawings are on view. —E.C.

Philip Guston Now
Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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