Bon Journal

Royal Academy of Arts, Guston and Vuillard

After a week of clearing out and cleaning up my house, I was desperate for some culture vulture.

The Royal Academy of Arts sits conveniently between Piccadilly Circus and Green Park tube stations. It is a magnificent building, housing three parallel "paid" exhibitions at the moment.

My architect friend who is a Friend of the Academy showed me the special area where Friends are privileged to loiter about uninterrupted. He brought me as a guest to the two exhibitions I wanted to see.

The art of Philip Guston (pronounced Gu-ston as in object not Guston as in receive) contrasts obviously from that of Edouard Vuillard who painted to commission. Guston's work is loud, big, and bold --- the epitome of self-expression. It's a gamble for the buyer and the seller. Meanwhile, Vuillard painted what people wanted to see --- portraits of themselves or paintings to decorate their homes.

In terms of productivity, Vuillard is far higher than Guston. In terms of progress and originality, Guston tops --- a testimony to the "less is more" philosophy.

23 February 2004 Monday

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Royal Academy of Arts