Philip Guston at NGA

I read an article in the Washington Post this morning about the newly installed Guston paintings at the National Gallery of Art (from their permanent collection), and was happy to see that it was written from the art experience/art viewing perspective. In particular, the observation was made that by opening up the skylight in the tower of the National Gallery of Art, where the Gustons are now placed, the paintings could be viewed in an entirely new way - a way in which the paint becomes not just "tones", but colors that change and communicate with the viewer as the sunlight changes position above.

The author also asserts that Guston might have actually been a colorist - and that the deep pinks, reds, and oranges of his later cartoon work are good examples of his color method. I believe that although the subject matter and figuration are remarkably different from his earlier abstract paintings, his use of color remained the same and thereby functions as a common thread. Because if you look closely at the earlier works, you will generally see the same color palette and can determine, from knowing the cartoon paintings, that the artist is the same. Both periods of his career are important and provocative - and I would imagine that seeing these later paintings under natural light would definitely change our understanding of his technique. I'll have to go check this out in person soon...