Trying Not to Die

“Trying Not to Die” is the title of a series of paintings which are part of my Masters of Fine Arts thesis exhibition. The paintings speak directly to the work of, painter, Philip Guston. In this paper I will discuss “Trying Not to Die” with reference to the process-based approach Guston employs and the themes of the grotesque and anxiety present in his work. This paper uses Philip Guston as a foil, comparing and contrasting specific works by Guston to works in “Trying Not to Die”. By locating key differences and similarities between Guston’s work and my own, the paper unpacks specific elements of my painting process and expands on the themes of caricature, the grotesque and anxiety about death in my work.