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phoenixrising@mmcarthur.bsky.social · last mo.

Philip Guston (American, 1913–80) : If This Be Not I, 1945 Oil on canvas | 42.25 x 55.25 in Kemper Art Museum Washington University, St. Louis, MO Further description in the alt text 👇

The nine figures in If This Be Not I are contained within a space much like a proscenium or, as Janson called it, the “porch of a tumble-down house.”13 In fact, the structure seems almost like a ship with two large masts, fabric draped from a rope like a sail, and wooden slats of flooring. One critic in early 1945 noted that Guston’s newest interest was the painting of space, “but the hard way, without compositional props or perspectival aids.”14 The careful placement of large and small objects at various angles in If This Be Not I—from an upside-down coatrack to a massive door—lend a sense of layered depth. Forms are flatter and less volumetric than in previous paintings by the artist, and their sheer number creates a claustrophobic effect akin to Beckmann’s signature work. Indeed, Guston’s array of imagery functions as much as structural markers as personal allusions. The spatial complexity of If This Be Not I is further heightened by Guston’s attention to texture, or what one reviewer called “richness of surface.”15 Critics praised Guston as a colorist and for his ability to create contour without sharp-edged lines. “Now, for the first time,” wrote Janson of If This Be Not I, “the evocative power of the work springs as much from the richness and depth of its color as from the design.”16 By restricting his palette to a few colors (primarily grays, blues, whites, and the occasional burnt sienna) and painting wet-on-wet, Guston created tonal modulations and depth.17 For example, in the far left register of the painting, directly above the head of the reclining boy, is a plane of textured color resembling wood grain. It is painted on top of a grid of lines resembling a grate, which winds up and back into space at an oblique angle. Behind it, an open door creates the only opportunity of escape from the cluttered surroundings.