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may 02, 2023 - www.voorlinden.nl

Invitation: press preview Alex Katz

Alex Katz makes his way to Voorlinden

Museum Voorlinden is proud to present a new solo exhibition of the legendary American painter #alexkatz. From 10 June to 1 October, you can see a special selection from the rich oeuvre of the 95-year-old artist, including iconic portraits, flat sculptures (cut-outs) and monumental landscapes.

Press preview: Friday June 9th 
Start: 11.00 am 
Sign up: 
before Thursday June 1st 

Please be aware: there is room for a limited number of journalists.

The bright colors, smooth surfaces and sharp compositions. The cool abstract style, monochromatic backgrounds and monumental scale. One instantly recognizes the work of the legendary #alexkatz (1927). For nearly eight decades, he has been painting American culture and modern society. Like no other, Katz knows how to capture the ‘immediate present’ as he calls it. The painter is inspired by the formal language of dance, television, movies and billboards. Katz is considered one of the most important American painters of the 20th century. His work is praised for its unique style and technique and can be seen in museums around the world – and from June 10 at Voorlinden.

Alex Katz: ‘I like to make an image that is so simple you can't avoid it, and so complicated you can't figure it out.’

Iconic portraits
Voorlinden celebrates the visual power of Katz’s paintings in the exhibition. It features both very early and very recent work, including portraits from the 1960s and monumental landscapes from the past decade. Highlights include the portraits Black Hat 2 (2010) and Blue Umbrella 2 (1972), which have traveled around the world, and the floral landscape Yellow Flags (2011). Also on view is the rarely seen double portrait Scott and John (1966). Voorlinden also shows works from its own collection, such as Twelve Hours (1984), an example of the panoramic group portraits Katz began to make in the 1980s and Homage to Degas (2018) with Katz’s frequently recurring theme of dancers.

Director Suzanne Swarts: ‘Katz is an absolute master of light. He knows what colors can do and has incredible aptitude. His paintings have such visual power that they sear themselves into your visual memory.'

Billboard format at Voorlinden
Katz lives and works in New York and Maine. He closely follows developments in the art world and continues to influence and encourage young talent. In 2019, he visited Voorlinden and the idea for an exhibition was born. The large halls of the museum in Wassenaar, with their high ceilings and natural light, completely dedicated to art: these are the perfect conditions to show his large paintings, the artist decided.

Head of exhibitions Barbara Bos: 'They look super simple, but the paintings by #alexkatz are incredibly well put together. He knows how to create the perfect tension between color, composition and format.’

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