Alex Katz

A prominent figure within the pop art movement, most noted for figurative art which included sculpture, paintings, and print is American artist and Brooklyn native Alex Katz, born on July 24th, 1927. His work is most famous for its use of flat blocks of color and for using portraits of loved ones and nature. His style is a bit more subdued than what most people consider pop art, but it is still vivid and colorful enough with enough abstract styling to make Katz one of the figureheads for the pop art movement.

His family was born in Soviet Russia but moved to New York City and had a rather normal childhood. However, it wouldn’t be until Alex Katz attended the renowned Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture where he started to develop his true voice within the art community, especially with the usage of natural elements in his landscapes, portraits, and sculptures. Skowhegan is also where Alex Katz developed beyond his inspiration of Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning within his work, utilizing smaller brush strokes that added more flair to the overall piece.

Shortly after graduation, he began immensely focusing on his artwork. So much so did his time at Skowhegan influence him that every summer Alex Katz leaves his SoHo flat for the calmness and nature of Lincolnville, Maine, where he has been a part-time resident since the 1950s. It is also where Katz would meet his wife and eventually have his only son, Vincent Katz. Not only did Alex Katz work on his paintings, but he also delved into large landscape paintings, sculpture, and even collages of the Maine lifestyle that he grew to love so much over the years.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he remained a staple within the pop art movement with his simple yet provoking artwork. However, Katz would destroy his own work while trying to find his own voice within the paintings, and has expressed in interviews that he more than likely destroyed upward of one thousand paintings and pieces.

In the 1970s, Alex Katz would eventually find himself doing more and more collages, set designs, and printmaking pieces – especially on woodblocks that he would layer with materials to give a special 3D effect. His work led to huge, completely engrossing solo exhibits where Alex Katz transported viewers into his own world and landscapes both figuratively and literally. His works can be found throughout New York City, Maine, Ireland, and dotted all across Europe as staple pieces for any pop art appreciator out there.

Only a portion of our Alex Katz Prints are represented online. Please contact us if you are looking for something special.