Night Studio. A Memoir of Philip Guston

by Musa Mayer

Philip Guston (1913-1980) is one of the outstanding figures in twentieth century American art. Beginning as a muralist in the thirties, Guston embraced the lyrical vocabulary of Abstract Expressionism in his paintings and drawings after his move to the East Coast. Following an artistic crisis in the mid-sixties, his return to figuration focusing first on simple things of ordinary life, later evolving to the enigmatic and iconic cartoonlike forms for which he is now best known shook the art world. Night Studio is a deeply personal account of growing up in the shadow of a great artist, a daughter's quest to better understand her father, based on letters and notes by the artist, and interviews with those who knew him. First published to critical acclaim in 1988, this beautifully designed new edition is richly illustrated with a new selection of photographs and paintings, many in color.

Also
Philip Drawings for Poets ISBN 9783944874197
Philip Prints ISBN 9783944874180

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography

360 pages, Paperback

Published May 10, 2016

About the author

Musa Mayer is an author, advocate, and 14-year breast cancer survivor. She left a career as a mental health counselor to pursue an MFA from Columbia University in writing. While she was a student at Columbia, she published her first book, Night Studio: A Memoir of Philip Guston, her own story of growing up in the New York art world of the 1950s. Less than a year later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has since published two books on breast cancer: her 1993 memoir, Examining Myself: One Woman's Story of Breast Cancer Treatment and Recovery, Advanced Breast Cancer: A Guide to Living with Metastatic Disease (O'Reilly & Associates, 1998), the only book of its kind; and her latest, After Breast Cancer: Answers to the Questions You're Afraid to Ask. In After Breast Cancer, Mayer explores the the feelings of uncertainty and fear that breast cancer patients commonly face after treatment. She offers survival statistics and the voices of 40 breast cancer survivors to help readers cope and thrive.

Reviews

[Tyler Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was glad to read this while my spouse was getting their MFA in Studio Art! Riveting. I highly recommend it for all, but especially those interested in art as a practice.

[Mathis roll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing read for art history lovers !

[Lauren Genovese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put it down. Musa is an amazing writer. This book is both beautiful and gut wrenching.