Alex Katz 'Seasons' at MoMA 3 Buzzy Shows to See in New York This Summer
By Richard Whiddington
Summertime in the New York art world often means large and playful 20-person group shows, which we love to see. However, some of the most talked-about shows in town are duo and solo outings; we have selected three exhibitions currently on view at New York’s premier arts institutions that are powerful displays spanning decades (and even centuries), each generating a lot of buzz and discussion.
Alex Katz "Seasons" at MoMA
The art world has caught up with Alex Katz over the past couple of years. Unfairly or not, the New Yorker’s paintings had long been considered lightweight compared to peers such as Jackson Pollock and Jasper Johns.
Not any more. Last year, the Guggenheim in New York staged “Gathering”, a retrospective offering up the people and places of Katz’s life. Venice’s Fondazione Giorgio Cini is presenting a series of new paintings to coincide with the Biennale. Now, MoMA has given over its second-floor atrium to “Seasons,” four monumental paintings that balance soft color and the openness of memory. As with Monet’s Water Lilies nearby, Katz’s paintings are immersive and environmental; autumn is a pang of yellow and summer is an overwhelming rush of greens.
The paintings largely emerged from photographs snapped on his iPhone during morning walks downtown and have been painted in big single strokes. “When you get more skilled, you can use a bigger brush for smaller things,” says the artist who has been hard at work for eight decades.
