Alex Katz. Seasons

About

The four monumental paintings featured in Alex Katz: Seasons chronicle the changing of the seasons, from the vibrant colors of spring, summer, and fall to the stark palette of winter. These works belong to a new suite of more than 100 paintings created by Alex Katz in his New York studio since 2022. The artist draws inspiration from his immediate surroundings, whether a lone tree encountered on Houston Street on the way home from the cinema, or the lush landscape of Maine, where Katz has spent his summers since 1954. “The sensation of color is what I wanted,” he says. “It’s the sensation of seeing.”

Alex Katz: Seasons celebrates the artist’s ever-evolving approach to interpreting the natural world. He often begins with photographs, taken with an iPhone, and smaller painted sketches, which he transforms into large-scale compositions. In many instances, Katz removes the horizon; its absence, paired with the paintings’ large scale, creates an environment with no clear beginning or end. Katz frequently completes an entire painting in a single morning. Despite continuously revisiting and reworking the four seasons theme, he approaches each canvas as a new venture. Katz cheerfully describes his process as, “Hold your breath and hope for the best.”

Organized by Ann Temkin, The Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture, with Elizabeth Wickham, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Painting and Sculpture, and Lydia Mullin, Manager, Collection Galleries, Department of Curatorial Affairs.