Alex Katz: At 155 Cumberland

Alex Katz’s works are liminal, uniquely situated between opposing movements of America’s Post War period. His colourful style acknowledges the flatness preferred by Abstract Expressionists while also referencing fashionable imagery commonly used in Pop Art. It is this clever use of multiple inspirations, and his refusal to be identified with one movement or another at all, that separates Katz’s works from those of his contemporaries. His use of down-to-earth subjects, such as his family members, close friends, and the natural world, was initially confusing to those who were used to the more spiritual or conceptual focus of other New York-based abstract artists. That was, however, only until his 1986 retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art which changed public opinion. Despite these early critics who didn’t understand the versatility and brilliance of Katz’s work from the start, the artist continued to develop his style, honing an identifiable sense of simplicity that has resonated with audiences for decades.

The works displayed here exhibit some of Katz’s most popular depictions. Vivien with Hat (2021), a portrait of the artist’s daughter-in-law Vivien Bittencourt, a family connection who has been a long-time subject of his work. Another highlight of this selection is Red Tree (2024). This large piece is based on the 1911 work The Red Studio by Henri Matisse which was an early exploration of colour’s potency and the artistic fascination with the afterimage.