Morris Katz Art
Polish, 1932-2010
Morris Katz (born Moshe Katz on March 5, 1932 in Galicia, Poland, died November 12, 2010 at age 78 in The Bronx, New York) was a Jewish-American painter. He holds two Guinness World Records as the world's fastest painter and the world's most prolific artist.
He has also been called the "King of Schlock Art" and the "King of Toilet Paper Art" because of a novel means of painting he developed using a palette knife and toilet tissue instead of a paintbrush. Katz was born in 1932 in Galicia, Poland. At age 13 he studied under Dr. Hans Fokler of the Munich Academy. After World War II, he lived for a while in a displaced persons camp, where he earned a diploma in carpentry, and he has since said that toilet paper is his "diploma in art."
He moved to the United States in 1949, when he took a job in carpentry while maintaining a sideline with his art. While working on his unpublished Dictionary of Color in 1956, he decided to try painting with his palette knife instead of his brushes. After some time he also began experimenting with the use of rags; when he ran out of rags he turned to toilet tissue. As of February 2007, over his career he had painted more than 280,000 paintings.
Over his long career, he has established himself as a painter, comedian, and television personality. Katz describes his method as "Instant Art," as he has completed entire paintings in as little as 30 seconds. In a 1987 event to benefit the Boy Scouts of America, Katz completed 103 paintings (selling 55 of them on the spot) in 12 hours. He is listed as a human oddity in Ripley's Believe It Or Not because of his ability to paint full works of art in less than five minutes.to
1
9
7
2
2
1
Red Roses, Late 20th Century Impasto Floral Still-Life, Record Breaking Artist
By Morris Katz
Located in Soquel, CA
Beautiful impasto still life of a vase of red and white roses on a table by Morris Katz (American, 1931-2010).
Signed and dated "Morris Katz 1997" lower right.
Presented in a gilt...
Category
1990s Contemporary Morris Katz Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
“Landscape”
By Morris Katz
Located in Warren, NJ
This is an MORRIS KATZ Original Oil Painting on board Signed Landscape 24x20. Unframed in good condition signed
Category
20th Century Morris Katz Art
Materials
Acrylic
“Snow scene”
By Morris Katz
Located in Warren, NJ
Morris Katz original oil on board unique colors. Some minor frame wear . Measures 17x15
Category
20th Century Morris Katz Art
Materials
Oil
“Flying kites on the beach”
By Morris Katz
Located in Warren, NJ
Morris Katz oil painting on board titled flying kites at the beach signed right corner bottom painting size 24 x 20
Frame 30 x 24 painting great condition frame has wear
Category
20th Century Morris Katz Art
Materials
Oil
Landscape with people fishing
By Morris Katz
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "Landscape with People Fishing" 1978, is an oil painting on hard board by Polish/American artist Morris Katz, 1932-2010. It is signed and dated at the lower right corner by the artist. The artwork (Hard Board) size is 20 x 24 inches, framed size is 28 x 31.75 inches. Framed in original wooden gold frame, with fabric liner and gold trim. The artwork is in excellent condition, the frame is in very good condition.
About the artist:
On May 9th, 1988, the New York artist set a new world record by painting a 12- by 16-inch canvas of a child in the snow in just half a minute. (It took an additional eight seconds to frame it.) And that wasn’t the only distinction granted to Katz by the Guinness Book of World Records—his name appeared alongside Pablo Picasso’s under the heading for “Most Prolific Painters.” The Spanish master is estimated to have completed some 13,500 paintings in his life; when Katz died in 2010 at age 78, he was credited with 225,000.
Katz’s preposterously productive career began in the small Polish village where he was born in 1932. He started studying under a German painter at age 13, but following World War II he earned a diploma in carpentry instead. In 1949, at the age of 17, he travelled to the United States. It was there that he picked up a paintbrush again, while studying at the Art Students League of New York and showing in the Village. “Soon, I decided I was good enough—compared to others, excellent enough—to make my living as an artist,” he said.
It was during those years that he developed the techniques that would eventually land him in the record books. He tossed out his paintbrushes and replaced them with palette knives and toilet paper, which he used to stipple the paint. “Soon I picked up speed,” Katz said. “If you know which way you’re travelling, then you can run.” He made art in bulk, buying up canvases by the thousands and paint by the gallon. He went through some 10,000 rolls of toilet paper per year; he often wore out palette knives.
Katz branded his method as “instant art.” Charles Salzberg, writing in New York magazine in 1978, urged readers, “Think of him, if you will, as the McDonald’s of the art world”—fast, cheap, and ubiquitous.
He wore a green beret, paint-splattered pants, and a shirt emblazoned with the words “Morris Katz - World’s Most Prolific Artist.” It was a title that came with a price—he worked 18-hour days into his 60s, sometimes from his Greenwich Village studio and other times as a performer at hotels across the Catskills. He would often visit three different hotels in the same day, waking up at 7 a.m. and returning home as late as 1 a.m.
His show was as much about the painting as it was the one-liners: “These are the highlights—you can tell because they’re high up on the painting,” he might say. Audiences gobbled up the jokes and the works, often paying less than $50 for a painting. “I give them a fresh painting like a fresh bagel,” he said.
Photographer David M. Spindel first met Katz on assignment. “They’d call him mashugana—that’s the Yiddish word for a little bit crazy,” he told Artsy. The pair soon became friends, and Spindel ended up attending several of the artist’s hotel shows.
“There were a lot of people from the hotel who were sitting in the room and he set up his easel and his toilet paper and paints and knocked out paintings one after another,” Spindel said. “Just a couple of minutes for each painting, usually. If he was kibitzing with the people in the audience then it took a lot longer. He was always clowning around.”
His act was ready-made for television; he appeared on 60 Minutes, David Letterman, and Oprah, among other programs. And Katz didn’t just make instant art—he taught it as well. In 1987, the New Yorker sent a writer to attend one of his speed-painting classes at the Notre Dame School on West 79th Street. A dozen eager students watched in admiration as he whipped up a mountain landscape, asking for advice on how, exactly, to hold their toilet paper for maximum artistic effect. For those who couldn’t make it to Manhattan for a lesson, he published a book—Paint Good & Fast (1985)—with a title as straightforward as his philosophy on art.
“Life goes faster and faster,” he wrote. “The fine arts must keep pace. This art will one day be...
Category
Late 20th Century American Impressionist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Oil
“Windmill”
By Morris Katz
Located in Warren, NJ
Morris Katz Original Painting On Board Watermill. In good condition measures 38x32
Category
20th Century Morris Katz Art
Materials
Acrylic
“Ocean scene”
By Morris Katz
Located in Warren, NJ
Morris katz oil painting 1978. In good condition measures 32x28
Category
20th Century Morris Katz Art
Materials
Oil
Morris Katz Set of Three of Original Seascape Oil Paintings C.2001
By Morris Katz
Located in San Francisco, CA
Morris Katz (Ukraine / New York 1931-2010)
Set of Three of Original Seascape Oil Paintings c.2001
A nice collection of original oil paintings by Morris Katz.
Seagulls flying over crashing waves.
Each painting measures 5" x 7"
One frame measures 7" x 9" The other two frames measure 8" x 10"
Signed, dated and framed by Morris Katz
Very good vintage condition
Offered as a matching trio only
Morris Katz (born Moshe Katz on March 5, 1932 – November 12, 2010) was a Polish-American painter. He holds two Guinness World Records as the world's fastest painter and the world's most prolific artist. He has also been called the "King of Schlock Art" and the "King of Toilet Paper Art" because of a novel means of painting he developed using a palette knife and toilet tissue...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Oil
Morris Katz painting 2002
By Morris Katz
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Morris Katz Painting 2002:
Oil paint on wood board. Unique.
8x10 inches.
Very good overall vintage condition.
Polish born Morris Katz (1932 – 2010) survived World War II in a Disp...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Morris Katz Art
Materials
Wood, Oil
$250 Sale Price
50% Off
Related Items
"Earth Spirits", Modern Green and Orange Acrylic Abstract by Mayo Beckford Young
Located in Pasadena, CA
A vivid exploration of the elemental and the spiritual, Earth Spirits captures Mayo Beckford Young’s signature synthesis of surrealism and abstraction. The composition unfolds in a d...
Category
Late 20th Century Modern Morris Katz Art
Materials
Acrylic
$1,400
H 23 in W 34 in D 0.88 in
"Porch People" - Figurative Composition in Oil on Linen
Located in Soquel, CA
Bold composition of two people on a porch by Majel McHugh Logan (American, 1916-1982). Two people sit facing each other on a porch, backlit by warm sun. The piece is sketchy but confident, with thick brushstrokes adding high contrast shadows and highlights. Although the subjects' faces are undefined, there is nonetheless an expressive quality in their body language.
Signed "Majel Logan" in the lower right corner.\
Artist's tag on verso with title.
Presented in a wood frame with a gold accent.
Frame size: 14.75"H x 16.75"W
Canvas size: 14"H x 16"W
Majel Logan (nee McHugh) (American, 1916-1982) was born in Utah. After graduation from St. Mary of the Wasatch College in Utah, she studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She continued to study at Idaho State University before eventually settling in Santa Clara, CA. Although she was a professional artist at the time, she nonetheless continued her studies at San Jose State University in the 1970s.
By the mid-70s, she had won 43 awards in state, regional, and local competitions, including Fiesta des Artes (Los Gatos...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Impressionist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Linen, Oil
$850
H 14.75 in W 16.75 in D 1.5 in
Tulips from the garden, Still life realism, Oil Painting, Contemporary , Flowers
Located in AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FR
Work : Original Oil Painting, Unique Work. Ready to Hang.
Medium : Oil painting on Linen Canvas.
Artist : Gabriel Riesnert
Subject : Tulipes du jardin dans un verre en cuivre (Title...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Morris Katz Art
Materials
Canvas, Linen, Oil
$887
H 13 in W 9.45 in D 0.71 in
FRENCH INTERIOR with STATUES original large painting FRAMED Paula Craioveanu oil
By Paula Craioveanu
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"French Interior with Statues"
Oil on canvas
Large original, one-of-a-kind, painting 80x60cm / 31.5x23.5in. Framed!
Part of Interior series.
Free shipping with 1stDibs code.
This painting, "French Interior with Statues", radiates elegance and a strong sense of place. The artist has masterfully conveyed the sophistication of a French interior, blending architectural depth, light, and intricate details with expressive, painterly techniques.
The composition draws the viewer’s eye through a series of framed spaces: an open door, a corridor, and a distant room. This layering technique creates a sense of depth and invites the viewer to explore the scene step by step. The checkerboard...
Category
2010s Contemporary Morris Katz Art
Materials
Oil, Canvas
$2,500
H 31.5 in W 23.5 in D 1.5 in
Nude with Tree at El Capitan - Yosemite Mid Century Figurative Landscape
By Margaret Wherry Ziegler
Located in Soquel, CA
Mid century figurative landscape of a nude female figure with tree at El Capitan, Yosemite, California by Margaret Wherry Ziegler (American, 1909-1989). Signed "M. Ziegler" lower right. Displayed in a rustic new silver gilt frame. Image, 24"H x 12"W.
Margaret Wherry Ziegler was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on November 27, 1909. At a young age she traveled with her parents to the Philippines, Japan, India, Italy, Greece, and Europe.
She studied art at the Cincinnati Art Academy, Minneapolis Art Institute, the University of the Philippines, and the California College of Arts and Crafts. While in Japan she studied Japanese brush painting...
Category
1950s American Impressionist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Illustration Board
$2,000 Sale Price
20% Off
H 26.13 in W 14.13 in D 0.88 in
Nellie Lake - Kitchen Patterned Plates Red Teapot Teacups Flowers, 2022
By Melanie Parke
Located in Kent, CT
In this contemporary painting in oil on canvas, a bright and inviting interior scene depicts colorful patterned china plates leaning beside a floral arrangement with green flowers in...
Category
2010s Contemporary Morris Katz Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$2,400
H 20 in W 16 in D 1.75 in
“Untitled (Round Hill Beach, Buzzards Bay), 1899” Dartmouth MA Impressionist
Located in Yardley, PA
A beautiful coastal painting by Massachusetts artist Joseph H. Greenwood, known for his evocative New England landscapes. This work captures the quiet charm of the Dartmouth coast ne...
Category
1890s American Impressionist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$5,500
H 19.5 in W 27.5 in D 3 in
Wine Bottles and Fruit on Table
By Zygmund Jankowski
Located in Gloucester, MA
Zygmund Jankowski (1925–2009) painted traditional subjects with exuberant irreverence for traditional rules of color, composition, and perspective. He disparaged imitation and deligh...
Category
1980s Contemporary Morris Katz Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Mid Century San Francisco Bay Seascape Landscape
By Hartzell Harrison Ray
Located in Soquel, CA
Gorgeous mid century San Francisco Bay seascape oil painting by California artist Hartzell Harrison Ray (American, 1896-1991). Signed "H. Ray" lower right and on verso. Texture added...
Category
1960s American Impressionist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Linen, Oil
$1,200
H 22 in W 28 in D 0.75 in
Porcelain Red - Lake Landscape Window Flowers Fruit Botanical Still Life, 2024
By Melanie Parke
Located in Kent, CT
In this contemporary painting in oil on canvas, a cheerful interior scene is bright and inviting with a still life arrangement of red poppies, red flowers and pale pink dahlias in a ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Morris Katz Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$3,500
H 24 in W 24 in D 1.75 in
1940s Sierra Mountain Landscape -- "Sierra Grandeur"
Located in Soquel, CA
Gorgeous landscape of Sierra Mountains and lake in autumn by Oliver Glen Barrett (American, 1903 - 1970), circa 1940. Signed lower right corner; ti...
Category
1940s American Impressionist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Linen, Oil
$3,650
H 31.5 in W 41.5 in D 3 in
"The Awakening" Early Spring Landscape of Mt Hamilton Oil on Masonite
Located in Soquel, CA
"The Awakening" Early Spring Landscape of Mt Hamilton Oil on Masonite
Early Spring landscape by Palo Alto, California artist "Florice" Florence P. Wideman (Hoffman) (American, 1893-1...
Category
1960s American Impressionist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Masonite, Oil
$2,150
H 31.25 in W 37.25 in D 2 in
Previously Available Items
Morris Katz Floral Still Life Oil Painting Palette Knife Technique Gold Frame
By Morris Katz
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This vibrant oil painting by celebrated artist Morris Katz features a striking floral still life rendered with his signature impasto palette knife technique. Bold red and orange peta...
Category
Late 20th Century Realist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Oil
H 14 in W 12 in D 2 in
American Artist Morris Katz Large painting on board, Autumn Landscape, Signed
By Morris Katz
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This is a beautiful vintage original painting on cardboard, depicting a rural autumn landscape.
Signed in a lower-right corner Morris Katz.
Presented in a solid wood frame with ...
Category
20th Century Impressionist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Oil
H 32 in W 44 in D 2 in
1974 Morris Katz Japanese Landscape
By Morris Katz
Located in San Francisco, CA
Morris Katz: 1932-2010. This has to be the finest Morris Katz painting we have ever owned. It is an oil on masonite measuring 36 inches wide by 24 high. It is unframed. It is signed ...
Category
1970s Morris Katz Art
Materials
Oil
American Abstract landscape 1971
By Morris Katz
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
3832 Impasto oil on board of an abstract landscape
Category
1970s Morris Katz Art
Materials
Oil
Morris Katz Pair of Original Outdoor Landscape Oil Paintings C.1991
By Morris Katz
Located in San Francisco, CA
Morris Katz (Ukraine / New York 1931-2010)
Pair of original oil paintings on masonite
One shows a country landscape with a house - The other a coastal scene with seagull
Each painting measures 9" wide x 12" high
Each frame measures 10" wide x 13" high
The paintings were done in 1991
Very good vintage condition
Offered as a pair only
Morris Katz (born Moshe Katz on March 5, 1932 – November 12, 2010) was a Polish-American painter. He holds two Guinness World Records as the world's fastest painter and the world's most prolific artist. He has also been called the "King of Schlock Art" and the "King of Toilet Paper Art" because of a novel means of painting he developed using a palette knife and toilet tissue...
Category
Late 19th Century Expressionist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Oil
H 13 in W 10 in D 1 in
Morris Katz Set of Three Natural Landscape Oil Paintings C.2001
By Morris Katz
Located in San Francisco, CA
Morris Katz (Ukraine / New York 1931-2010)
Set of Three of Original Natural Landscape Oil Paintings c.2001
A nice collection of original oil paintings by Morris Katz.
Trees and Flowers
Each painting measures approximately 5" x 7"
Signed, dated and framed by Morris Katz
Very good vintage condition
Offered as a matching trio only
Morris Katz (born Moshe Katz on March 5, 1932 – November 12, 2010) was a Polish-American painter. He holds two Guinness World Records as the world's fastest painter and the world's most prolific artist. He has also been called the "King of Schlock Art" and the "King of Toilet Paper Art" because of a novel means of painting he developed using a palette knife and toilet tissue...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Oil
H 7 in W 5 in D 1 in
Morris Katz "Winter Ski Trip" Pair of Original Oil Paintings C.2001
By Morris Katz
Located in San Francisco, CA
Morris Katz (Ukraine / New York 1931-2010)
Pair of original Winter ski trip oil paintings
Skiers riding the slopes through the trees!
Each painting measures 7" wide x 5" high
Each oak frame measures 9" wide x 7" high
The paintings were done in 2001
Very good vintage condition
Offered as a pair only
Morris Katz (born Moshe Katz on March 5, 1932 – November 12, 2010) was a Polish-American painter. He holds two Guinness World Records as the world's fastest painter and the world's most prolific artist. He has also been called the "King of Schlock Art" and the "King of Toilet Paper Art" because of a novel means of painting he developed using a palette knife and toilet tissue...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Oil
Morris Katz Pair of "Fall Colors on the Coast" Oil Paintings C.1991
By Morris Katz
Located in San Francisco, CA
Morris Katz (Ukraine / New York 1931-2010)
Pair of original coastal forest with Fall colors landscape oil paintings
Each painting measures 9" wide x 12" high
Each oak frame measures 10" wide x 13" high
The paintings were done in 1991
Very good vintage condition
Offered as a pair only
Morris Katz (born Moshe Katz on March 5, 1932 – November 12, 2010) was a Polish-American painter. He holds two Guinness World Records as the world's fastest painter and the world's most prolific artist. He has also been called the "King of Schlock Art" and the "King of Toilet Paper Art" because of a novel means of painting he developed using a palette knife and toilet tissue...
Category
Late 20th Century Expressionist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Masonite, Oil
H 13 in W 10 in D 1 in
Morris Katz Pair of "Forested Landscape" Oil Paintings C.1991
By Morris Katz
Located in San Francisco, CA
Morris Katz (Ukraine / New York 1931-2010)
Pair of original forested landscape oil paintings
Each painting measures 9" wide x 12" high
...
Category
Late 20th Century Expressionist Morris Katz Art
Materials
Masonite, Oil
H 13 in W 10 in D 1 in
Morris Katz Pair of Original Outdoor Landscape Oil Paintings C.1991
By Morris Katz
Located in San Francisco, CA
Morris Katz (Ukraine / New York 1931-2010)
Pair of original oil paintings on masonite
One shows a seagull flying over crashing waves, the other trees by a lake
Each painting measures 9" wide x 12" high
Each oak frame measures 10" wide x 13" high
The paintings were done in 1991
Very good vintage condition - One painting (the seagull) shows a minor fleck of paint loss at the extreme upper edge. (see pics)
Offered as a pair only
Morris Katz (born Moshe Katz on March 5, 1932 – November 12, 2010) was a Polish-American painter. He holds two Guinness World Records as the world's fastest painter and the world's most prolific artist. He has also been called the "King of Schlock Art" and the "King of Toilet Paper Art" because of a novel means of painting he developed using a palette knife and toilet tissue...
Category
Late 20th Century Morris Katz Art
Materials
Masonite, Oil
H 13 in W 10 in D 1 in
Cityscape Painting
By Morris Katz
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
#5-2937 Cityscape ,abstract painting,acrylic on artist board displayed in a silver- wood frame ,signed on verso Morris Katz. Image size 11.5 H x 15.5 W
Age wear on the frame
Category
1970s Morris Katz Art
Morris Katz art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Morris Katz art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Morris Katz in oil paint, paint, wood and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Morris Katz art, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Helena Malarewicz-Krajewska, Noel Howard, and Duane Albert Armstrong. Morris Katz art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $400 and tops out at $1,516, while the average work can sell for $545.






