Alex Katz is a master of contemporary art, renowned for his distinctive painting style and profound portrayal of individuals. Emerging in the New York art scene during the 1950s, Katz carved a unique path in art history, standing apart from the dominant movements of Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art of his time.
Katz’s works are characterized by their minimalist yet bold use of color, particularly in his portraits of elegant and captivating women. Employing precise lines and expansive color fields, he creates artworks that are both modern and timeless. His iconic female portraits, such as The Black Dress (1960), Blue Umbrella (1972), and White Visor (2003), have become emblematic of late 20th-century femininity. Beyond his female portraits, his repertoire includes male figures, group scenes, landscapes, and interiors, rendered through diverse mediums such as oil on canvas, metal cut-outs, drawings, and collages.
Katz’s art is not only a testament to his technical mastery but also to his acute attention to detail and profound understanding of form. His works explore the relationship between public and private spaces while challenging conventional perceptions of space and portraiture. He is not merely a painter but an artist deeply attuned to the spirit of his time.
Throughout his career, Katz’s work has achieved widespread acclaim. In 1986, he was honored with a major touring retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and his pieces have been exhibited globally. His art is held in the collections of some of the world’s leading institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate in London, the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris, and the Nationalgalerie in Berlin.
With a career spanning several decades, Alex Katz has distinguished himself through his exquisite technique, profound artistic vision, and unique observations of modern life. His works are not only a deep interpretation of individuals and their era but also a paradigm of simplicity and richness coexisting in art.
A landmark appreciation of this towering figure in contemporary painting
Alex Katz first emerged on the New York art scene during the heyday of Abstract Expressionism and before the birth of Pop art, but always worked independently of these movements. Katz is best known for his distinctive portraits of sophisticated, irresistible women, masterfully painted using precise, broad areas of colour. Alongside these unmistakably ‘Katzian’ female portraits are pictures of men, groups, landscapes and interiors, rendered in paint on canvas or metal cut-outs as well as drawing and collage. All attest to the artist’s attention to detail, economy of means and consummate technique.
Larger-than-life paintings such as The Black Dress (1960), Blue Umbrella (1972), Red Coat (1982) and White Visor (2003) have entered the collective consciousness as the epitome of a particular, late twentieth-century feminine ideal. A major touring retrospective was organized by New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art in 1986, and Katz has exhibited widely all over the world. His works are in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Tate, London; the Musée National d’Art Moderne, Paris; and the Nationalgalerie, Berlin, among many others.
A leading world expert on Katz, distinguished New York art critic Carter Ratcliff writes the definitive, comprehensive Survey, following Katz’s work from the 1950s to the present. In the Interview New York-based curator and critic Robert Storr discusses in detail with the artist his practice and technique in the context of a changing art world. Curator Iwona Blazwick enters in her Focus the silent world of Sylvia (1962-63), a classic Katz portrait that resonates with the urban landscape occupied by both artist and sitter. For Artist’s Choice Katz has selected nine works by New York School Poets, all of whom share a particular, often personal connection to his work. Artist’s Writings range from an early text from 1959 on Katz’s dislike of the term ‘academy’ to a recent text that reflects on his beginnings as an artist. Key interviews with some of the of the twentieth century’s most prestigious art figures – including critic David Sylvester and artists Francesco Clemente, Jane Freilicher and Richard Prince – are also included.
