Alex KatzAlex (Self Portrait) by Alex Katz1970
1970
About the Item
- Creator:Alex Katz (1927, American)
- Creation Year:1970
- Dimensions:Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 21.2 in (53.85 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU132328088002
Alex Katz
Flat color and minimal forms contrast the often monumental scales of the paintings by Alex Katz through which he creates portraits and landscapes of deceptive simplicity. Although the signature stark style that defines his prints and other work is now recognizable at a glance, it took him a decade to develop. During that time, he has said he destroyed hundreds of paintings.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian émigré parents, Katz’s family moved to Queens when he was a baby and that is where his family’s passion for the arts supported his early creative interests. In 1946, he enrolled at the Cooper Union in Manhattan where he studied painting under Morris Kantor. While he was influenced by the bold colors and hard edges of modernism, he shifted away from the then-dominant Abstract Expressionism movement to figurative scenes of life that have an inherent cool in their pared-down approach. Especially impactful were Katz’s summer studies between 1949 and 1950 at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, a place where, as he later wrote: “I tried plein air painting and found my subject matter and a reason to devote my life to painting.”
Katz’s first solo show was in 1954 at Roko Gallery in New York. He experimented over the course of the following years with collage and painting on aluminum sheets, with his work in the 1960s drawing inspiration from film and advertising. In the 1970s, Katz expanded into portrait groups that regularly depicted the cultural scene of New York; in the 1980s, he extended his focus to fashion and its supermodels. Since the late 1950s, an enduring muse for his portraits has been his wife, Ada, while others have painted friends and famous figures. The intimate closeness of the frequently cropped faces in Katz’s portraits exudes a sense of tension with the subjects’ enigmatic expressions and planes of color.
In the 1960s, Katz collaborated with American dancer and choreographer Paul Taylor on sets and costumes. His concentration on landscapes emerged in the late 1980s, with atmospheric night views joining his practice, which had previously been defined by bright colors. Always finding new perspectives on his work, he has explored using iPhone photographs as the basis for large-scale compositions in recent years.
Katz’s prolific career has spanned sculpture, prints and public art along with his paintings and drawings, and his works can be found in the collections of leading museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art and Museum of Modern Art. He has had over 250 solo exhibitions around the world and continues to be acclaimed. In 2022, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum opened a major retrospective of his art.
Find Alex Katz art today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Portrait of Gregory Evans - Artcurial, Original Lithographic Poster, 1979By David HockneyLocated in New York, NYThis original lithographic poster by David Hockney is a portrait of Gregory Evans, his longtime friend, onetime romantic partner and curator. He has been a consistent model, inspiration and support to the artist. Aside from the poster edition of 500, there was a signed and numbered edition of 90 proofs published by the Lelong Gallery in Paris. Certificate of Provenance: Each individual work of art carefully curated by Mourlot Editions comes with a Certificate of Provenance, signed, dated, stamped, and numbered by Eric Mourlot...Category
1970s Modern Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- The Woodstock Poster by Bruce Dorfman, 1968By Bruce DorfmanLocated in New York, NYThe Woodstock Poster was originally commissioned by the Woodstock Book Shop and Woodstock Chamber of Commerce. It was subsequently purchased from the ...Category
1960s Post-Modern Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Blue Composition by Andre LanskoyBy André LanskoyLocated in New York, NYThis lithograph was printed in 1965 at the Atelier Mourlot in Paris. It is signed, and numbered from an edition of 150. A major theme running through Lanskoy's work is the interactio...Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Athlete 7 by Le CorbusierBy Le CorbusierLocated in New York, NYMedium: Lithograph, Signed in stone, 1964Category
1960s Prints and Multiples
MaterialsLithograph
- Salon de Mai After Joan Miro - abstract lithographic posterBy Joan MiróLocated in New York, NYThis colorful abstract lithographic poster was printed in 1966 at the Atelier Mourlot in Paris to promote an exhibition of Miro's works at the Musee d'Art Moderne De La Ville in Paris. Certificate of Provenance: Each individual work of art carefully curated by Mourlot Editions comes with a Certificate of Provenance, signed, dated, stamped, and numbered by Eric Mourlot...Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Cent Tableaux - Galerie Charpentier by Bernard Buffet, 1958By Bernard BuffetLocated in New York, NYArtist: Bernard Buffet Medium: Original Lithographic Poster, 1958 Dimensions: 29 x 21.5 in, 73.7 x 54.6 cm Poster Paper - Perfect Condition A Bernard Buffet's paintings reveal a dark politic and a strong respect for art history, especially French painters like Eugène Delacroix and Antoine-Jean Gros whose work had historical themes. At the age of thirty in 1958, Bernard Buffet was one of the most famous painters in France. His work was on display in an unprecedented retrospective at the Galerie Charpentier...Category
1950s Prints and Multiples
MaterialsLithograph
- Reflections on HairBy Roy LichtensteinLocated in Washington, DCArtist: Roy Lichtenstein Title: Reflections on Hair Portfolio: Reflections Medium: Lithograph, screenprint, relief and metalized PVC collage with embossing on mold-made Somerset pape...Category
1990s Pop Art Portrait Prints
MaterialsPVC, Lithograph, Screen
- UNTITLED (PLATE 6)By Keith HaringLocated in Aventura, FLFrom Untitled 1-6, Keith Haring's first series of printed works. Lithograph on Arches paper. Hand signed, dated and numbered in red crayon by the artist. Published by Barbara Gladsto...Category
1980s Pop Art Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph, Paper
- Mick Jagger X - Andy Warhol, Announcement card, Rolling Stones, Musician, PopBy (after) Andy WarholLocated in Knowle Lane, CranleighMick Jagger X - After Andy Warhol. This black and white colour scheme lithographic print features - Mick Jagger - an iconic rock legend who was the frontman and one of the founders ...Category
1970s Pop Art Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Mick Jagger VI - Andy Warhol, Announcement card, Rolling Stones, Musician, PopBy (after) Andy WarholLocated in Knowle Lane, CranleighMick Jagger VI - After Andy Warhol. The line drawing placed on a golden backdrop is a feature unique to this print adding a sense of motion to Jagger’s features which shows him in a...Category
1970s Pop Art Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Andy Warhol, Jagger Announcement cards SET OF 10, Rolling Stones, Musician, PopBy (after) Andy WarholLocated in Knowle Lane, CranleighAfter Andy Warhol. These lithographic prints feature an image of Mick Jagger - an iconic rock legend and the lead singer of the Rolling Stones. These unsigned postcard sized prints ...Category
1970s Pop Art Portrait Prints
MaterialsColor, Lithograph
- Mick Jagger III - Andy Warhol, Announcement card, Rolling Stones, Musician, PopBy (after) Andy WarholLocated in Knowle Lane, CranleighMick Jagger III - After Andy Warhol. In this print, Warhol incorporated solid abstract shapes to emphasize Jagger's features - here, focusing on the singer’s famous lips, along with...Category
1970s Pop Art Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph