Study for black brook IV, 1989

Renowned for his brightly coloured figurative and landscape paintings, Alex Katz is a notable artist whose work bridges the gap between the styles of representation and formalism –among his most frequently referenced subjects are landscapes of New York and Maine, as well as portraits of his wife and muse, Ada. Such works as Pansies and West Palm Beach perhaps best exemplify his quintessentially American take on the classical themes of portraiture and landscape via the use of his flat colour and economy of line. Katz was notably influenced by the woodcuts of Japanese art, particularly the works of Kitagawa Utamaro; this inspiration, alongside his depictions of American culture and scenery (further inspired by television, films and billboard advertisements) have led to his paintings been dubbed as ‘precursors to Pop Art’. (Artist website)