Alex Katz

Dark Glasses

Alex Katz’s massive, androgynous figure stares, from behind chic mirrored sunglasses, with a poised detachment that reflects the ambitious decadence of the 1980s. This impression of controlled elegance is supported by the painter’s trademark aesthetic, which combines a cool palette and concise contours. The flatness and clarity of Dark Glasses echo historical sources such as Henri Matisse and Japanese woodblock prints.

This work’s content, however, demonstrates the artist’s interest in the designer clothing and fashion models of the 1980s. The scale of Katz’s work is also significant.

“I realized that there wasn’t any large figurative painting that I thought was that interesting,” Katz says. “I already knew the Abstract Expressionists in New York got around Paris by going big ... But as far as big paintings of the figure were concerned, no one had been there.”