Rain 1975

Philip Guston made this drawing, called 'Rain', in 1975, with ink on paper. It’s all about these quick, almost scribbled lines that build up the image, and that’s what grabs me – seeing the artmaking right there on the surface. Look at how he uses simple, dark lines to create a whole atmosphere, both inside and outside the painting. The raindrops are just these straight, vertical marks, but they totally give you that sense of a downpour. And then there are these shapes below the rain, like characters, or maybe even thoughts. The texture comes from how close together those lines are, making some areas feel heavy and dark, while others stay light and airy. I think about Guston’s earlier abstract work, where he built up forms with layers of color, and how he eventually moved to this raw, figurative style. For me, an artist like Guston shows how it's okay to keep changing, keep questioning, and let your art be this ongoing experiment.