Book Launch: ‘Five Stories for Philip Guston’

Join us at Hauser & Wirth London for the launch and reception on the occasion of ‘Five Stories for Philip Guston,’ presented in collaboration with Printed Matter, Inc. and Karma.

The event will feature readings from project contributors Ben Okri and Lou Stoppard. Welcome drinks will be served from 6.30 pm, with a prompt start at 7 pm.

About ‘Five Stories for Philip Guston’
In this short story collection, five writers working today have created fictions in conversation with Guston and his painting. So many years after his death in 1980, it is clear why his influence remains stronger than ever.
Guston was an avid reader of novels, short stories, and philosophy, so it is not surprising that he painted books. What is surprising is how the book paintings made him think anew about narrative, and specifically the potential to tell stories again with his art. There was another prompt: during this period, events in American public life were in turmoil. Having seen firsthand the violence of fascist forces in the 1930s, Guston resolved to commit his work to storytelling once again—but in a new manner.



Published by Printed Matter, Inc.

Designed by Karma

Edited by Emmie Francis & Mark Godfrey

Paintings by Philip Guston

Stories by Christopher Alessandrini, Thessaly La Force, Ben Okri, Lou Stoppard and Audrey Wollen.

‘Philip Guston’ is on view at Tate Modern through Sunday 25 February.

About Philip Guston
Philip Guston (1913 – 1980) is one of the great luminaries of twentieth-century art. His commitment to producing work from genuine emotion and lived experience ensures its enduring impact. Guston’s legendary career spanned a half century, from 1930 to 1980. His paintings—particularly the liberated and instinctual forms of his late work—continue to exert a powerful influence on younger generations of contemporary painters.

About Ben Okri
Ben Okri is a poet, novelist, essayist, short story writer, anthologist, aphorist, and playwright. He has also written film scripts. His works have won numerous national and international prizes, including the Booker Prize for Fiction. He has also received many honors for his contributions to literature, including a British knighthood in 2023. His last writings include the book of stories ‘Prayer for the Living’ and the novel ‘The Last Gift of the Master Artists.’

About Lou Stoppard
Lou Stoppard is a British writer and curator. She has written for The Financial Times, Aperture, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. Her books include a survey of the work of street photographer Shirley Baker, published by Mack in 2019, and Pools, an exploration of swimming in photography, published by Rizzoli in 2020.

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Please be advised that photographs will be taken at this event for use on the Hauser & Wirth website, social media and in other marketing materials.