The large format portrait Vivien with Hat in color shows Vivien Bittencourt in a white summer hat. A woman Alex Katz has portrayed many times. She is his daughter-in-law. Vivien Bittencourt grew up in São Paulo, Brazil, where she received a degree in history from the University of São Paulo. In 1986, she moved to New York City to pursue her interest in filmmaking. She produced and directed documentaries about artists, including Rudy Burckhardt, Alex Katz and Kiki Smith. She also captured several historical poetry readings on film, including a 1988 reading of Jack Kerouac’s “Mexico City Blues” with Eileen Myles, Allen Ginsberg, Charles Bernstein, Nina Zivancevic and Richard Hell, and a 1989 reading of Hanuman Books authors with Herbert Huncke, Taylor Mead, Elaine Equi, Cookie Mueller, Gregory Corso and Rene Ricard. Vivien with White Hat is an exemplary work by Alex Katz now available at Galerie Frank Fluegel – this print features Katz’s clean lines and minimal approach to portraiture, and the monochromatic lightblue background that is typical of his compositions. These portraits have no clear narrative – it is not important for the viewer to know the person or story behind the artwork. What Alex Katz is trying to emphasize with the work Vivien with White Hat is actually the beauty of the subjects. The use of soft colors and emphasis on fashionable details in his paintings transforms the coldness of sharp lines, lack of detail, and flatness into a work of art that the viewer can enjoy. Vivien with Hat is a pigment print similar to screen printing. A new Flowers Portfolio by Alex Katz will be available soon. It includes Red Dogwood, Purple Tulips, Peonies, Goldenrod and Azaleas on yellow.
Upcoming Exhibitions
2022
solo exhibitions
Alex Katz: Dance and Theatre Collaborations
Colby College Museum of Art, Maine
Alex Katz
Gladstone Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
March 31, 2022 - June 11, 2022
Alex Katz
Timothy Taylor Gallery, London, U.K.
May 12, 2022 - June 25, 2022
Alex Katz: 95th Birthday
Albertina, Vienna, Austria
May 17, 2022 - August 21, 2022
Alex Katz
Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Spain.
June 14, 2022 - September 11, 2022
2022-2023
solo exhibitions
Alex Katz Retrospective
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
October 14, 2022 - February 20, 2023
2023
solo exhibitions
Alex Katz
Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, Netherlands
