Alex KatzDay Lilies (Hand Signed and Inscribed by Alex Katz)1992
1992
About the Item
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 1 day of delivery.
- Sun on Six (Jasper Johns first Pop Art linocut, hand signed and numbered 4/26)By Jasper JohnsLocated in New York, NYJasper Johns Sun on Six, 2000 Color linoleum cut on Gampi Torinoko paper Pencil signed, dated and numbered 4/26 on the front Published by Z Press, Calais, Vermont Frame included: ele...Category
Early 2000s Pop Art Abstract Prints
MaterialsRice Paper, Linocut, Mixed Media, Pencil
- Homage to Kenneth Koch with Hearts, Bread Sky - Pop Art print showing food, loveBy Jim DineLocated in New York, NYJim Dine Kenneth Koch Homage (Oh Scarf of Paradise, Blue Sky is Bread to the Scarf), 1966 Color lithograph on blue grey wove paper with deckled edges 37 × 24 1/2 inches Pencil signed...Category
1960s Pop Art Abstract Prints
MaterialsLithograph, Pencil
- Mnemonic DeviceBy Joe TilsonLocated in New York, NYJoe Tilson Mnemonic Device, 1975 Silkscreen with hand coloring on Thin Bamboo Wood Sheet 21 1/4 × 19 1/2 inches Edition 96/100 Hand signed and numbered from an edition of 100 on rect...Category
1970s Pop Art Abstract Prints
MaterialsInk, Screen
- JBCRIAL1VY-98, pencil signed edition unique variant featured in monograph FramedBy John BaldessariLocated in New York, NYJohn Baldessari JBCRIAL1VY-98 (Unique Variant, Hand Signed), 1998 Ink jet print on paper. Hand signed by John Baldessari on the front 1 of 96 similar works completed Frame included T...Category
1990s Contemporary Still-life Prints
MaterialsDigital, Inkjet, Pencil, Graphite
- Houseball with Fallen Toy BearBy Claes OldenburgLocated in New York, NYClaes Oldenburg Houseball with Fallen Toy Bear, 2013 Color lithograph on Japanese watercolor paper Hand signed and numbered 21/50 by Claes Oldenburg on the ...Category
2010s Pop Art Still-life Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Saint Louis Art Museum poster (Hand Signed and dated by Roy Lichtenstein)By Roy LichtensteinLocated in New York, NYRoy Lichtenstein Roy Lichtenstein 1970-1980 (Hand Signed and dated by Roy Lichtenstein), 1981 Offset lithograph. Hand signed and dated in ink Hand-si...Category
1980s Pop Art Abstract Prints
MaterialsOffset, Ballpoint Pen, Lithograph
- $ Dollar Sign, FS II.277By Andy WarholLocated in Miami, FLTECHNICAL INFORMATION: Andy Warhol Dollar Sign, FS II.277 1982 Screenprint on Lenox Museum Board 19 3/4 x 15 5/8 in. 48/60 - Each Piece is Unique Pencil signed and numbered Conditi...Category
1980s Pop Art Still-life Prints
MaterialsScreen
- Vintage Original Poster Sister Corita Kent Lithograph Pop Art "Life Without War"By Mary Corita (Sister Corita) KentLocated in Surfside, FLCorita Kent (American, 1918 - 1986)"We Can Create Life without War" Corita Billboard Peace Project Poster 1985 Corita Billboard Event - Part of Peace Week, January 17-24, 1985 San Lu...Category
1980s Pop Art Abstract Prints
MaterialsLithograph, Screen, Offset
- "Boldest Native" original lithograph signed pop art abstract hyperrealistic boldBy Michael KniginLocated in Milwaukee, WI"Boldest Native" is an original color lithograph by Michael Knigin. This piece features a pile of apples with abstract textures. The artist signed the piece lower right and titled it...Category
1980s Pop Art Still-life Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Wild Pastels (XL)By Lee HerringLocated in Deddington, GBWild Pastels (XL) by Lee Herring [2021] original Mixed Media Image size: H:96 cm x W:98 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:96 cm x W:98 cm x D:0.1cm Sold Unframed Please note that...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Abstract Prints
MaterialsPaper
- COSMIC FLOWERS Signed Lithograph, Abstract Floral, Happy Colors, Blue Red YellowBy Peter MaxLocated in Union City, NJCosmic Flowers is an original hand drawn lithograph by Peter Max printed using traditional hand lithography techniques on archival Arches paper, 100% aci...Category
1980s Pop Art Still-life Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Perfect Witness, Pop Art Lithograph by Michael KniginBy Michael KniginLocated in Long Island City, NYPerfect Witness Michael Knigin, American (1942–2011) Date: 1999 Lithograph, Signed and Numbered in Pencil Edition of 80 Size: 30 in. x 22 in. (76.2 cm x 55.88 cm)Category
1990s Pop Art Still-life Prints
MaterialsLithograph