Musa Mayer on Philip Guston's Italian Connections and Legacy
Musa Mayer, the daughter of renowned artist Philip Guston (1913-1980), spoke with Artribune in Venice about her father's ties to Italy. Guston, who received the Prix de Rome in the late 1940s, resided in Rome from 1948 to 1949 and created the Roma series (1970-1971) there. He showcased American art alongside Franz Kline, Hans Hoffman, and Theodore Roszak at the Venice Biennale. Influenced by the works of Italian Renaissance artists and Giorgio de Chirico, Mayer reflects on the New York art scene of the 1950s. Her memoir, "Night Studio," captures her early years. This interview precedes the "Philip Guston and the Poets" exhibition at the Gallerie dell'Accademia. Critics like Clement Greenberg and Hilton Kramer once dismissed Guston's later pieces, which are now celebrated. The Philip Guston Foundation is currently working on a catalogue raisonné.
Key facts
- Musa Mayer is daughter of Philip Guston and Musa McKim Guston.
- Guston won Prix de Rome in late 1940s and lived in Rome 1948-1949.
- He completed Roma series (1970-1971) at American Academy in Rome.
- Guston represented US at Venice Biennale with Franz Kline, Hans Hoffman, Theodore Roszak.
- Exhibition 'Philip Guston and the Poets' at Gallerie dell'Accademia during Biennale.
- Clement Greenberg and Hilton Kramer criticized Guston's late figurative work.
- Hilton Kramer called Guston 'A Mandarin Pretending to be a Stumblebum' in NYT (1970).
- Hauser & Wirth exclusively represents Philip Guston Estate; McKee Gallery represented him 40+ years.
Entities
Artists
- Philip Guston
- Musa McKim Guston
- Musa Mayer
- Jackson Pollock
- David Alfaro Siqueiros
- Giorgio de Chirico
- Franz Kline
- Hans Hoffman
- Theodore Roszak
- Willem de Kooning
- Mark Rothko
- Clement Greenberg
- Hilton Kramer
- Masaccio
- Mantegna
- Piero della Francesca
- D.H. Lawrence
- W.B. Yeats
- Wallace Stevens
- Eugenio Montale
- T.S. Eliot
Institutions
- Artribune
- American Academy in Rome
- Venice Biennale
- Gallerie dell'Accademia
- Hauser & Wirth
- McKee Gallery
- Philip Guston Foundation
- Johan & Levi
- New York Times
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Rome
- United States
- Pennsylvania
- Panama
- Iowa
- Woodstock
- New York
- Giudecca