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Alex Katz

American, b. 1927

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.

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$5,193
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'VICKI HUDSPITH AND WALLY TUBERVILLE' (FROM THE PAS DE DEUX) SCREENPRINT 1993
By Alex Katz
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
Title: Vicki Hudspith and Wally Tuberville (From the portfolio 'Pas de Deux') Artist: Alex Katz 1927 - PRESENT Year: 1993 Technique: Color screenprint Image Size: 36 x 19 7/8" Signat...
Category

1990s Pop Art Alex Katz

Materials

Screen

FRANCESCO AND ALBA CLEMENTE' (FROM THE PAS DE DEUX) SCREENPRINT 1993
By Alex Katz
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
Title: Francesco and Alba Clemente (From the portfolio 'Pas de Deux') Artist: Alex Katz 1927 - PRESENT Year: 1993 Technique: Color screenprint Image Size...
Category

1990s Pop Art Alex Katz

Materials

Screen

REFLECTION I - 2010
By Alex Katz
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
Artist: Alex Katz Title: "Reflection I" Year: 2010 Medium: Etching Size: 18.5 × 13.5 in. Framed Approx.: 26 x 20 inches Signed and numbered by the artist Edition: 20/45 In mint condi...
Category

2010s Pop Art Alex Katz

Materials

Etching

  • REFLECTION I - 2010
  • REFLECTION I - 2010
  • REFLECTION I - 2010
  • REFLECTION I - 2010
H 18.5 in. W 13.5 in. D 1 in.
Alex (Self Portrait) by Alex Katz
By Alex Katz
Located in New York, NY
Alex Katz was drawn to the Mourlot Studios for their exactitude and their tireless efforts in collaborations with artists to produce the best representations of the artist's vision. ...
Category

1970s Pop Art Alex Katz

Materials

Lithograph

Harbor - Contemporary, 21st Century, Aquatint, Limited Edition, Alex Katz, Green
By Alex Katz
Located in Zug, CH
Alex Katz, Harbor Contemporary, 21st Century, Aquatint, Limited Edition, Alex Katz, Green Harbor, 2006 Aquatint Edition of 50 with Arabic numerals, 20 Roman numerals and 4 artist's proofs 50 x 59 cm (19.6 x 23.5 in.) Signed and numbered In mint condition, as acquired from the publisher Cartiere Magnani Corona 400 g paper Printed by Giancarlo Sardella, Milano and Pesaro Published by Galleria Fabjbasaglia, Rimini PLEASE NOTE: Edition numbers could vary from the one shown in the images. The pictures are only for illustrative reasons, the work is offered unframed. Alex Katz has been painting portraits for nearly 50 years, synthesizing a kind of color field abstraction with realism. As the artist and his wife summered in the bucolic landscape of Maine, the landscape and wildlife has also become a trademark subject. “I’m trying to show people how I see. I have an idea and then it becomes very empirical. I don’t think about it twice.” — Alex Katz Harbor is among the many subjects of nature that have most recently captured the artist’s eye. The artwork is committed to the visualization of the moment, free from any narrative elements. The past and the future are irrelevant, as they are already inscribed in the immediate present which Katz tries to translate into the medium of painting. ALEX KATZ Alex Katz (American, born 1927) is the outstanding protagonist of figurative painting and one of our era's most acclaimed artists. In the late 1950s, the artist began to develop his mature style, characterized by elegance, simplicity, and stylized abstraction, which typifies his entire production. Alex Katz’s paintings...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Alex Katz

Materials

Aquatint

Purple Irises on White
By Alex Katz
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Alex Katz Title: Purple Irises on White Medium: Archival pigment ink on Innova Etching Cotton Rag 315 gsm Date: 2023 Edition: 42/150 Sheet Size: 24" x 30" Signature: Hand sig...
Category

2010s Alex Katz

Materials

Archival Pigment

  • Purple Irises on White
  • Purple Irises on White
  • Purple Irises on White
  • Purple Irises on White
Free Shipping
H 24 in. W 30 in.
Yellow Flags on Brown
By Alex Katz
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Alex Katz Title: Yellow Flags on Brown Medium: Archival pigment ink on Innova Etching Cotton Rag 315 gsm Date: 2023 Edition: 42/150 Sheet Size: 24" x 30" Signature: Hand sign...
Category

2010s Alex Katz

Materials

Archival Pigment

  • Yellow Flags on Brown
  • Yellow Flags on Brown
  • Yellow Flags on Brown
  • Yellow Flags on Brown
Free Shipping
H 24 in. W 30 in.
Purple Irises on Red
By Alex Katz
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Alex Katz Title: Purple Irises on Red Medium: Archival pigment ink on Innova Etching Cotton Rag 315 gsm Date: 2023 Edition: 42/150 Sheet Size: 24" x 30" Signature: Hand signe...
Category

2010s Alex Katz

Materials

Archival Pigment

  • Purple Irises on Red
  • Purple Irises on Red
  • Purple Irises on Red
  • Purple Irises on Red
Free Shipping
H 24 in. W 30 in.
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Galleries Featuring Alex Katz

GALERIE BOISSERÉE
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Marlborough Graphics
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Michael Lisi/Contemporary Art
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Gregg Shienbaum Fine Art - churned
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Hirth Fine Art
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Maune Contemporary
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Betsy Senior Fine Art
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Composition Gallery
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Alex Katz art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Alex Katz art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of orange, blue, yellow and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Alex Katz in screen print, pigment print, archival pigment print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Alex Katz art, so small editions measuring 6 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Damien Hirst, Donald Sultan, and Takashi Murakami. Alex Katz art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at £280 and tops out at £200,314, while the average work can sell for £13,882.
Questions About Alex Katz
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Alex Katz is a contemporary artist who produced paintings, sculptures and prints. Many historians associate him with the Nouveau réalisme movement, but he also worked in figurative and Pop art styles. Shop a collection of Alex Katz art on 1stDibs.

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