Alex KatzBelinda2017
2017
About the Item
- Creator:Alex Katz (1927, American)
- Creation Year:2017
- Dimensions:Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 22 in (55.88 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Framing:Framing Options Available
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU55411510302
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 PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- AlbaBy Alex KatzLocated in New York, NYCreated by Alex Katz in 2017, Alba is an archival pigment print on Crane Museo Max paper. Hand-signed in pencil and numbered, the artwork measures 30 x 22 in. (76 x 56 cm), unframed,...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Prints
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- JessicaBy Alex KatzLocated in New York, NYCreated by Alex Katz in 2017, Jessica is an archival pigment print on Crane Museo Max paper. Hand-signed in pencil and numbered, the artwork measures 30 x 22 in. (76 x 56 cm), unfram...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Prints
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Homage to DegasBy Alex KatzLocated in New York, NYCreated by Alex Katz in 2020, Homage to Degas is an archival pigment print on Innova Etching Cotton Rag paper. Hand-signed in pencil and numbered, the ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Prints
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Big Smile (Vivien)By Alex KatzLocated in New York, NYCreated in 2021 as an archival pigment print, Alex Katz's Big Smile (Vivien) is hand-signed and numbered. Measuring 35 x 70 in. (89 x 178 cm.), unframed, thi...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Prints
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- White ShirtBy Alex KatzLocated in New York, NYCreated in 2021 as a suite of six individual archival pigment prints, Alex Katz's White Shirt prints are each hand-signed and numbered in pencil. Each measuring 26 x 15 in. (66 x 38 ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Prints and Multiples
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- VivienBy Alex KatzLocated in New York, NYCreated by Alex Katz in 2022, Vivien is hand-signed and numbered in pencil, measuring 32 x 24 in. (81 x 61 cm.), unframed, from the edition of 150 as issued. Available for local pick...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Prints
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Bruni vs Sarkosy, After ComteBy Alex Guofeng CaoLocated in New York, NYIn a captivating new collection, Alex Guofeng Cao dazzles audiences with his unique twist on instantly recognizable images. Inspired by history and pop culture, Cao manipulates one iconic image to create another in his extraordinary large-scale works. From a distance, the pieces appear to be a singular image but as the viewer approaches closer, you find each work is a masterfully crafted compilation of minute detailed images layered next to one another, creating a mesmerizing and hypnotic optical illusion. Cao meticulously places each smaller image to form a dynamic gradient from dark to light which tricks the eye into seeing one image. This expertise in contrast is exemplified in all of his works, from striking black and white pieces to stunning explorations in high-definition color. He cleverly mirrors this visual contrast in his subject matter by subverting the main image and creating a dialogue between the macrocosm and microcosm. Take the piece, Ali vs Armstrong; here we see the iconic image of Muhammed Ali’s victory composed of thousands of tiny portraits...Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Portrait Prints
MaterialsPlexiglass, Archival Ink, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
- Diana vs GraceBy Alex Guofeng CaoLocated in New York, NYIn a captivating new collection, Alex Guofeng Cao dazzles audiences with his unique twist on instantly recognizable images. Inspired by history and pop culture, Cao manipulates one i...Category
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
MaterialsPlexiglass, Archival Ink, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
- Stargazers, Sisters of the moon (Black and white portrait)By Van de Camp HeesterbeekLocated in New York City, NYVan de Camp & Heesterbeek (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) Stargazers, Sisters of the moon, 2018 from the Temporal Spaces series. 60 x 120 inches - Edition of 4 Archival Pigment Prin...Category
2010s Contemporary Portrait Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Polysemic PrimaveraLocated in London, GBArchival pigment print on cotton paper. Edition of 75 plus 20 Artist Proofs. No.9/75. Signed and numbered by the artist.Category
2010s Contemporary Portrait Prints
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- 40 shades of happinessBy Esmeralda KosmatopoulosLocated in New York, NY40 shades of happiness, 2014 c-prints on aluminum backing 4"x 4" each, variable overall installation size. edition of 5 40 shades of happiness plays with emoticons and f...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Prints
MaterialsArchival Pigment, Canvas
- KonfyansBy Shawn TheodoreLocated in Philadelphia, PAThis photograph titled "Konfyans" is an original artwork by Shawn Theodore measuring 60"h x 90"w. It is an archival pigment print on Hahnemühle rag paper. This collection debuted at...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Prints
MaterialsArchival Pigment