this raspberry beret is by the artist known as alex katz, not prince. i think this was painted sometime in the 80s, but it could have been yesterday. so slouchy! and i love the hot pop of pink wool and red lipstick against the wintry landscape.
i was first exposed to katz's work at a gallery in maine a couple of summers ago and was instantly smitten. his way with color and simplicity of line is is always fresh and modern looking, despite the fact that many of the works i'm drawn to were painted in the 70s or 80s.
this one is called "ada's black sandals." once again, i am struck by the modernity of the image. i love the stark look of the black platforms against the white anklets. and notice the detail in the socks...sort of like a chainlink or large fishnet pattern.
i love the mix of power and glamour here. what do you think: a series of jackie o. clones? and what's with the dude on the wall? i guess they put him in his place. i also can't help but notice the similarity to the red-lipsticked brunettes from robert palmer's classic "addicted to love" video.
4 comments:
my first published magazine article was a review of alex katz's work :)
wow...did you get to interview him? i just read an interview published in the journal of contemporary art. he sounds incredibly erudite and not a little bit intimidating!
A great post - I had to do some research on him, 'coz i did like "the jackie o." painting a lot and knew nothing about alex katz. (Shame on me.)
he is a really fascinating guy and quite the ny luminary. the "jackie o's", the lady in the beret and even the shoe model are all his wife and muse ada.
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