Artist Alex Katz has been painting for over 75 years. He turned 98 this past July. This is a short piece I saw on CBS Sunday Morning this past weekend, so enjoyable to see and hear Alex speak about his life and work.
A collection of over 100 pieces from the Alex Katz Foundation Collection are on display at the Portland Museum of Art in Maine. I only just found out about it, unfortunately, it’s been there since May. It ends in just a few weeks – on September 14. I know I have a lot of New England readers, so this is your chance!
The exhibit is called, “Painting Energy.” These are pieces of art that Alex owns, pieces he purchased because he loved them and wanted to support other established and emerging artists purchasing their art. He’s paying it forward.
Alex is one of those people who you just like to listen to when they speak. The Guggenheim Museum had an exhibit of his work in 2022, which I regret missing.
The paintings he chose for the Maine exhibit have to have a “pow” as he calls it. It’s sort of like an elevator pitch or shorter. He says it’s like an elevator door opening, seeing the painting, having the elevator door closing and “getting it,” from that one short moment.
“Alex Katz is a leader in contemporary art, but in the state of Maine, he’s king, and we all look up to him,” said fellow artist Katherine Bradford, whose work is part of the “Painting Energy” show.
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