Alex Katz Standing Ada, 1987 depicts a subject beloved by the artist, his wife Ada, presented in sculptural form. She stands, gently pressing her blue cardigan to her chest. Beneath it, a sliver of a floral blouse peaks through. Ada wears a pair of gray slacks and black patent heels. Her hair is cut to her shoulders and her face holds a reserved smile. Standing life-size tall at roughly 5’4”, Katz ultimately abandons this realism, capturing Ada’s likeness on the flat sheet of precisely cut metal, rather than sculpting her three dimensions. She is only 10 inches wide with a mere depth of 3/16 in. When observed from an angle we can’t help but do a double take at the flattened perspective of the figure. Both sides of the Alex Katz Standing Ada, 1987, are screenprinted, the artist fully embracing the hybrid nature of this print-meets-sculpture. In person, the viewer can fully experience the graphic impact Katz stylized imagery on a flat surface, enjoying the interactivity of the multidimensional form. Katz had, over the decades of his artistic career, depicted his wife countless times, each time seeing if he could “get something else out of the same subject matter.” Here, we get the suggestion of her age; her clothing, the gray cast of her hair, the lines trailing her face all show a woman in her prime.

Created in 1987, Alex Katz Standing Ada, 1987 is Screenprint on cut aluminum sculpture. This work is hand signed with the incised initials of Alex Katz (Brooklyn, 1927 - ) on the base: ‘A.K.’ Numbered from the edition of 75 incised on the base; this sculpture is printed and published by Styria Studio, New York, NY.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Alex Katz Standing Ada, 1987 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work).

1. Walker, Barry. Alex Katz | A Print Retrospective, New York: The Brooklyn Museum in Association with Burton Skira Inc., 1987. Listed and illustrated as plate no. 63.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.