Adored by collectors and art lovers the world over, Alex Katz is renowned for his elegant and distinctive version of figuration. Born in 1927, Katz has been dedicated to art-making since the 1950's - however it wasn't until the 60's when he established his signature 'flat' aesthetic. Over the succeeding decades, Katz kept the tradition of figurative painting when it was long considered out of style. Printmaking has always been an essential part of his process, and an integral part of his oeuvre.
With a deep and direct connection to the poets of the New York School, Katz has collaboratively engaged with its' members throughout his career. This work is from the A Tremor in the Morning portfolio, which was a collaborative project that Katz completed with his son, the esteemed poet Vincent Katz. Shockingly direct, the prints are monochromatic woodcuts, stark and informative. Each image features a couple from Katz' artistic cannon. Providing romantic context to the poetic components, the woodcuts are simultaneously decisive and questioning--as they ponder the prose:
..."Do you think the end of the world
will come at dawn or at night?"
Each woodcut from the portfolio conveys a sense of tension and mystery--a feeling that is not uncommon when viewing Katz's work. In "Julian and Jessica," two figures stare intently at each other, rendered in thick black lines. The energy in the negative space radiates with emotion, and it's almost impossible to avoid looking back and forth between the two. Charged and direct, this print is an excellent example of Katz's ability to distill a singular moment into a striking image.
Editions of "Julian and Jessica" are in the collections of the MoMA and the Brooklyn Museum.
Questions about this piece? Contact us, call +1.416.704.1720, or visit our Toronto gallery.
"Julian and Jessica" from A Tremor in the Morning
A Tremor in the Morning is a portfolio of ten woodcuts by Alex Katz, including a book containing poems by Vincent Katz and eleven linoleum cuts by Alex Katz.
USA, 1986
Woodcut on Rives BFK paper
Signed and numbered in pencil, lower left of image
Edition: 45 Arabic numerals, 5 Roman numerals
This print is edition "15/45"
12"H 12"W (image)
20.25"H 20"W (sheet)
23.75"H 23.25"W (framed)
Printed by Chip Elwell, Chip Elwell Fine Prints, New York
Published by Peter Blum Editions, New York
Literature:
- Alex Katz: Catalogue Raisonné, prints: 1947-2023, listed as cat. no. 191 alongside the woodcuts in the A Tremor in the Morning portfolio (cat. nos. 189-198) on pages 190-191.
- exh. cat. New York 1987, cat. nos. 53-62
- Blum 2001, cat. nos. 12-21
Notes: cf. the painting Roan & Jessica (1996; Ruzicska 1997, p. 31).
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