Alex Katz, Straw Hat 1

Alex Katz’s Straw Hat 1 is a bold and minimalist portrait that features a figure wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat, rendered in Katz’s signature flat, vibrant style. The clean lines and large, simplified shapes emphasize the elegance of the subject, while the striking contrast between the hat and the background creates a sense of quiet sophistication. Katz’s focus on surface and form distills the limited edition print to its essentials, capturing both a moment of casual grace and timeless beauty.

Alex Katz, an influential American artist born in 1927 in New York City, has made a significant mark in the fields of painting, sculpture, and printmaking. Developing his unique stylized aesthetic as a counter-response to the Abstract Expressionism prevalent in the 1950s, Katz is known for his bright, figurative artworks that often feature two-dimensional landscapes, marine scenes, flowers, people, or animals. His artwork, characterized by wide brushstrokes, large swaths of color, and meticulously refined compositions, stands as a testament to his ability to blend elements of abstraction and representation. This distinctive approach in American art, as noted by art historian Robert Storr, combines these aspects into “a new and distinctive type of realism.” Alex Katz’s influence is notably recognized in his role as a precursor to the Pop Art movement. Drawing inspiration from everyday visual culture such as advertising and cinema, his paintings and prints resonate with a wide audience, transcending traditional art boundaries. The 1950s also marked the beginning of Katz’s experimentation with printmaking, a medium that would become integral to his artistic practice. His oeuvre in printmaking is diverse, featuring silkscreen prints, linoleum cuts, lithographs, and etchings, each showcasing his mastery in different techniques. Throughout his illustrious career, Alex Katz’s artwork has been the centerpiece of over 200 solo exhibitions worldwide. His art has been displayed in prestigious institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art (New York), the Institute of Contemporary Arts (London), the National Portrait Gallery (London), the Albertina (Vienna), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza (Madrid), and notably at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York) in 2022.

Alex Katz, Straw Hat 1