I Paint What I Want to See - Classic Text | Alexandria
I Paint What I Want to See, a declaration imbued with artistic defiance and introspective searching, remains one of Philip Guston's most quoted phrases and encapsulates the spirit driving his seismic shift in artistic style. Not simply a statement of self-determination, it's a refusal to adhere to external expectations, a concept often misunderstood as artistic ego. The phrase, though appearing in various forms throughout Guston's career, solidified its place in art history circa 1970, coinciding with his controversial return to figurative painting.
The impulse towards independence, the idea of painting "what he wanted to see", traces its origins to at least the mid-1960s. A burgeoning discontent with the perceived limitations of Abstract Expressionism and a deep engagement with social and political unrest fueled Guston’s artistic questioning. The Vietnam War protests and the Civil Rights Movement profoundly impacted Guston, leading him to question the social relevance of abstract art. This led him to a radical stylistic departure that would polarize critics and peers alike.
The evolution of I Paint What I Want to See is intertwined with the critical reception of Guston's late work. Initially met with hostility for abandoning abstraction, his cartoonish figures, often featuring hooded Klansmen, gradually found recognition as powerful commentaries on violence, complicity, and self-awareness. The phrase itself gained traction as both a defense of artistic freedom and an indictment of societal ills. Critics debated whether Guston was using irony or endorsing the imagery, revealing anxieties about representation, social responsibility, and the artist's role in reflecting – or shaping – public consciousness. The influence of Guston's blunt, uncomfortable imagery surfaces even now in art that confront social realities.
Guston’s commitment to I Paint What I Want to See continues to resonate with artists seeking authenticity and challenging entrenched norms. Is it a self-serving justification or a courageous act of artistic honesty? And how does the context in which art is both created and experienced influence on our capacity to comprehend the artist’s intent and integrity? This question invites us to re-evaluate our expectations of art and the complex relationship between artist, artwork, and audience.