SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA) is currently showcasing Philip Guston’s enigmatic work, “Cigar,” painted in 1969. This significant painting, which is part of a collection of 33 pieces exhibited in Guston’s groundbreaking 1970 show, features a pink-hooded Ku Klux Klan member, laboriously clutching a cigar from which a swirling plume of gray impasto smoke emerges. Guston, a Canadian-American painter known for his staunch anti-fascist views, delved into the complexities of racism and societal complicity through his darkly humorous portrayal of KKK imagery. Emma Saperstein, SLOMA’s chief curator, described “Cigar” as a provocative work that stirs a sense of accountability in both the artist and the viewer, as it personifies racism that remains visible yet ignored in everyday life.
This painting will be on display until October 2, marking the inaugural loan to SLOMA made possible by a partnership with the Art Bridges Foundation. Founded in 2017 by Alice Walton, a philanthropist and the heiress to Walmart, Art Bridges seeks to broaden access to significant American art across the nation. Guston’s works are usually reserved for larger institutions, rendering the presence of “Cigar” especially noteworthy in this regional museum setting. This painting is part of an extensive collection of approximately 200 pieces owned by Art Bridges, which are available for loan at no charge. All expenses associated with the exhibition of Guston’s painting, including shipping and insurance, were covered by Art Bridges, which also offers opportunities for educational outreach.
The inclusion of “Cigar” at SLOMA has initiated important conversations and educational opportunities within the community. Recently, the museum hosted a lecture by art historian and curator Ellen Landau, who discussed Guston’s transition from Abstract Expressionism in the 1950s to his later realistic representations in the 1960s. Concurrently, students enrolled in AP Art History at San Luis Obispo High School explored Guston’s work, observed “Cigar,” and participated in a collaborative note-sharing exercise. One student articulated, “The dots represent the sewing together of morality, like a makeshift, silly costume,” reflecting on the themes illustrated by Guston.
These activities are part of an ongoing dialogue about Guston’s body of work, particularly the imagery associated with the KKK. Guston’s retrospective, initially planned for 2020 by the National Gallery of Art, was postponed due to the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement. Kaywin Feldman, the director of the gallery, remarked that the exhibition must address more complexities than just Guston’s work given the sensitivities tied to his depiction of Black trauma. The postponement drew criticism from over 2,600 artists, curators, and writers who signed an open letter denouncing the decision as an act of institutional cowardice. Meanwhile, contemporary artist Trenton Doyle Hancock is currently reflecting Guston’s representations of racism through a Black American perspective, which will be highlighted in a 2024-25 exhibition at the Jewish Museum.
Visitors to SLOMA have also shared their reactions to Guston’s painting. Visitor Services Manager Lena Rushing has been collecting comments directly at the museum. One visitor, Melodee, mused, “Are the dotted lines neighborhood streets? Like how racism and hatred are interwoven everywhere.” Another visitor, Stephanie B., expressed that the painting remains “as relevant today as ever, as extremism is being normalized and celebrated.”
The availability of Guston’s artwork in San Luis Obispo represents a rare educational experience for students, educators, and local patrons, allowing for a direct engagement with a pressing piece of art that resonates with contemporary issues regarding artistic expression and censorship. Despite past critiques dubbing Guston as “out of touch with contemporary realities,” his work has proven to be remarkably prophetic in today’s social landscape.
Art Bridges has further plans to lend works for a group exhibition at SLOMA next spring, featuring pieces by prominent artists like Robert Gober, Alex Katz, and Felix Gonzalez-Torres. As Saperstein shared with Hyperallergic, the lending of Guston’s “Cigar” is merely the first step in a promising series of exhibitions to come.
