Katz was born in New York City in 1927. He studied at the Cooper Union Art School and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Combining twin streams abstraction and realism, he has been a representational painter from the outset of his career in the early 1950s. In his work, modern images are rendered in an idyllic and simplified world, with emphasis on skin-deep surfaces. However, Katz is not a realist; indeed, the "space" of his paintings is more like that of abstract art. The size of his paintings seems to imply the heroic or dramatic, but his subject matter is always the truth of ordinary life.

For the CHF audience, Katz considers his remarkable accomplishments as an artist, over a career that spans nearly forty years. He is interviewed by the Whitney Museum of American Art’s distinguished director Adam Weinberg.

The annual Gray lectureship recognizes the significant contributions of founding board member Richard Gray, Richard Gray Gallery.

Part of the Richard Gray Visual Arts Series: Alex Katz
In 2005, the CHF launches its annual visual arts series in recognition of a significant gift from founding board member and distinguished art dealer Richard Gray. Each year a living, practicing artist will be invited to participate in the Festival, and his or her accomplishments will be examined by noted critics, scholars, and curators.

Additional Presenters Adam Weinberg

Recommended Programs SHIGERU BAN: Giving Shelter, from Kobe to Rwanda RICHARD GRAY VISUAL ARTS SERIES: Visual Arts Panel—Appreciating Alex Katz GEOFF DYER: The Ongoing Moment