Kate 1994

Curator: Alex Katz's small-scale oil on board portrait, simply titled "Kate," captures a striking figure against a field of black. Editor: She looks like someone I might know—a neighbor, maybe. The dark background really makes her red hair pop. Curator: Yes, the contrast is key. Katz's signature flat planes and simplified forms are quite evident here, distilling Kate's likeness to essential shapes and colors. Editor: There's an immediacy to it, almost casual, but it's clearly deliberate. You see it in the direct gaze and the way the light falls. Curator: Precisely. The painting engages with notions of surface and depth, inviting us to consider the complex relationship between representation and reality. Editor: I see her now, and that’s all there is. That's a skill I wish I had. Curator: Indeed. A testament to Katz's ability to make the ordinary extraordinary. Editor: I think you're right. It’s a powerful little piece.