Philip Guston, "Dial", 1956
but then he starts painting like this.
Philip Guston, "By the Window", 1969
everyone tells him he has lost it. even his artist friends ridicule him. and yet he perseveres and continues to paint these incredible, shocking images for the next decade. critics panned the first public exhibition of these paintings in 1970. imagine what was going through his mind. imagine the conversations around the dinner table with his wife. does he go back to what was "successful" in the past? has he made a terrible error of judgement?
no.
unthinkable.
cowardly.
and thankfully, ultimately, the paintings came to be understood and embraced by many as among the best of their day.
for his bravery he is one of my heroes. i pray that i can muster the courage to be so honest in my work, in the face of everything that strives to conform it to expectations. "define success", as my friend Kurt says.
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