Some “Brand-New and Terrific” Art in Westchester
Alex Katz is an iconic painter known for portraits, landscapes and still-lifes during a time when abstract art was all the rage. Neuberger Museum of Art at Purchase College is presenting a solo show of this work through October 14. Brand-New & Terrific: Alex Katz in the 1950s lays out the first decade of Katz’s career, during which he experimented with reductive techniques for portraying his loved ones and the world around him. His subject matters, whether a portrait of his wife Ada, good friend Robert Rauschenberg or a scene from his life in Maine, were depicted with simplistic blocks of color.
Katz was also inspired by Japanese woodblock prints, in addition to the TV and billboard advertisements that were gaining popularity at the time. These advertisements, along with Katz’s work, were precursors to the consequent Pop Art movement. Throughout the exhibition’s diverse array of work, including small paper collages, large paintings and life-size cutouts, Katz’s innovative take on abstracting realism shines through.
This exhibition was organized by the Colby Museum of Art in Waterville, Maine and displays some rarely shown works from the museum’s collection as well as the artist’s holdings. For more info, visit neuberger.org.
This blog is part of a “Student Voices” series that presents blog posts from college students about local arts events and exhibitions.
Jillian Impastato, a student at Tufts University, is studying Art History and Education. She interned at ArtsWestchester this summer and helped out in the Gallery and Communications departments.
