Agean 1980

Editor: So, this is Philip Guston's "Agean," date unknown, at the Tate. I'm struck by how raw it feels, almost like a woodcut, but with this jumbled, dreamlike quality. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It feels like Guston is wrestling with something profound. These shapes, like broken columns or limbs, tumbling across a desolate landscape…Do you sense a narrative here, or is it more about pure, visceral feeling? Editor: Maybe both? I get a sense of ruins, a past that’s been destroyed. Is there a story that Guston might be trying to tell? Curator: Possibly. Guston often grappled with morality, history and personal demons. Could this be a metaphor for a world in disarray, seen through his uniquely personal lens? Editor: It’s amazing how much emotion he conveys with so few lines. Thanks, I definitely see it differently now! Curator: Yes, a landscape of feeling, indeed. Makes you wonder what's next for us, doesn't it?