Philip Guston Retrospective Exhibition at Tate Modern

Season 2, Episode 182,   Oct 11, 2023, 10:00 AM

Philip Guston (1913-1980) is thought of as one of the most remarkable artists of the twentieth century.

This Tate Modern exhibition is the first major UK retrospective of Philip Guston's work in 20 years, spanning more than 100 paintings and drawings from across Guston’s momentous 50-year career. Offering new insights into his formative early years and activism, his celebrated period of abstraction, and his thought-provoking late works. With an outlook strongly shaped by his experiences of personal tragedy and by social injustice in the US, the exhibition charts the restlessness of an artist who defied categorisation, and never stopped pushing the boundaries of painting.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey was joined at Tate Modern by Michael Raymond one of the joint Curator's  of the exhibition to find out more about the work and life of Philip guston.

Toby began by asking Michael why now was a good time to present Philip Guston's work again to the public through this new retrospective exhibition.  

Toby and Michael then talked about how much Guston's early life experiences had shaped his work and his outlook on life. Then to a discussion looking at the style of Guston's work over his life and whether he would be using his work today if he was still around to focus on the war in Ukraine, the climate crisis and everything that has been happening in America over the last few years and events around the world too. 

Toby ended by asking Michael maybe a slightly difficult question, as to whether there were maybe one or two examples of Philip Guston's work from the exhibition that sum up Guston’s work to him.

The Philip Guston exhibition continues at Tate Modern until 25 February 2024 and audio described guided tours lead by one of Tate’s Visitor Engagement Assistants can be booked by either emailing hello@Tate.org.uk or calling 020 7887 8888 

More details about the Philip Guston exhibition ‘at Tate Modern  can be found by visiting the following pages of the Tate website - https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/philip-guston


Image Shows Philip Guston, The Line, 1978 © The Estate of Philip Guston, courtesy Hauser & Wirth. A painting which depicts a raw, red hand with the index and middle finger extended, descending from a cloud against a light blue sky at the top of the painting to scrape a line across the deep red ground with a pencil or piece of charcoal held between the two fingers.