Inverleith House

Philip Guston: Late Paintings

25 July – 7 October 2012

 

 

The first exhibition by the great American artist to be staged in Scotland, Philip Guston: Late Paintings features major works from 1969 to 1978, shown in the naturally-lit rooms of Inverleith House overlooking the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

 

Born in Montreal, Canada, Philip Guston (1913-1980) grew up in Los Angeles where he attended high school with Jackson Pollock. Largely self-taught and politically aware, he worked during the 1930’s as a mural painter in Mexico and the U.S. Moving to New York in 1936 he became a celebrated member of the first generation of Abstract Expressionists in the 1950’s.

 

In 1967 Guston left New York for the small town of Woodstock, N.Y. and reintroduced figuration to his paintings; cartoon-like in quality they began to incorporate images familiar to him since childhood – from the hooded figures of the Ku Klux Klan, to everyday objects such as lightbulbs, shoes and cigarettes. When these paintings were shown for the first time in 1970, they proved highly controversial but rapidly gained critical recognition. The ‘late’ paintings made during the last 13 years of the artist’s life are now widely regarded as some of the most compelling and influential works of the late 20th Century.

 

The exhibition is presented with the support of the Artist’s Estate and the McKee Gallery, New York. An illustrated catalogue featuring an interview with the art historian Dr. David Anfam and an essay by the writer Philip Larratt-Smith accompanies the exhibition.

 

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Arboretum Place/Inverleith Row, EH3 5LR

0131 248 2971

www.rbge.org.uk/inverleith-house

 

Tue—Sun, 10—5.30pm

Free admission