Philip Guston

Hauser & Wirth is pleased to present the first solo Los Angeles exhibition in over half a century dedicated to American artist Philip Guston. Resilience: Philip Guston in 1971 sheds light on a pivotal year that launched Guston into the final prolific decade of his career, during which he painted what are now celebrated as some of the most important works of art of the 20th Century. On view will be key examples from two major series, the Roma paintings and the Nixon drawings, that together tell a story of artistic renewal and invention. Created in the wake of resoundingly negative reviews garnered by his 1970 exhibition at the Marlborough Gallery in New York City – ‘Clumsy.’ ‘Embarrassing.’ ‘Simple-minded.’ – and during a time of social and political turmoil in the United States, these figurative paintings and narrative satirical drawings bear witness to an artist at the height of his powers, exquisitely responsive to his world.

Resilience: Philip Guston in 1971 is curated by the artist’s daughter, Musa Mayer, and will be accompanied by a new publication.

Philip Guston (1913 – 1980) is one of the great luminaries of twentieth-century art. His commitment to producing work from genuine emotion and lived experience ensures its enduring impact.

Guston’s legendary career spanned a half century, from 1930 to 1980. His paintings – particularly the liberated and instinctual forms of his late work – continue to exert a powerful influence on younger generations of contemporary painters.