Guston in Time: Remembering Philip Guston

By Ross Feld

Book Overview

In the years following his controversial 1970 exhibition at the Marlborough Galleries, Philip Guston was generally viewed as yesterday's scandal, a maverick who had abandoned abstract expressionism and, with it, the adulation of the art world. Few paid serious attention to the disturbing, profound work he was producing in his Woodstock studio. So when Ross Feld, a young novelist and critic, wrote a penetrating review of Guston's latest show, the artist sent him a letter of appreciation: "I felt . . . as if we knew each other and had many discussions about painting and literature. In a word--I felt recognition." Thus began a remarkable friendship. Feld, a frequent visitor to Guston's studio where the two men would talk late into the night, became Guston's intellectual sparring partner and sounding board--"I'll shout it right out," Guston wrote to Feld, "you inspire me to paint again!"--as well as the artist's most eloquent critic and champion. Guston in Time is Feld's final tribute, and it is at once a testament to a friendship, a provocative and richly nuanced study of one of the twentieth century's most important artists, and a portrait of a remarkable character.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1582432848
• ISBN13: 9781582432847
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: Counterpoint
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.8" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Intimate correspondence between the artist and friend

For Guston fans who want a little more insight on how his brain worked, this is a gem. It contains lots of letters between him and Ross Feld (the author), as well as anecdotes and stories about Guston and his wife and their life in Stockbridge. You quickly see that Guston was very much an emotional being, possibly manic-depressive, who drank and smoked and ate too much - but truly loved life. This is a quick read, but an invaluable part of a Guston library for the insights it provides on his up-and-down career and (sometimes) bewildering artwork. The negatives are that it's a bit pricey for such a little book, and it's a little short on commentary.

Good Insights

This book has some very fine insights into the painting life of Philip Guston. Worth the read.

A recommended pick for Guston fans

Figurative painter Guston's life was vibrant; he was a muralist, then an abstract expressionist, and finally a figurative artists. Here friend and novelist Feld, Guston's friend, interprets his works and his friendship with Guston, adding many personal insights and embellishments from the friendship which will lead artists to a fuller appreciation of his life. A recommended pick for Guston fans who want an insightful biography/memoir.