Katz's Meow

When I first walked into Alex Katz's exhibit at Pace Wildenstein, the work reminded me of that infamous portrait of Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown. However, Katz's 31 paintings here are much more subdued, although their sheer size is somewhat imposing. The show, called "The Sixties," also reminded me of some of David Hockney's work: sleek, spare, with some Californian cool thrown in. When I looked at a catalogue of Katz's current work, I noticed that his style has changed very little. This show doesn't tell us much about the 1960s decade; it's simply the era in which the artist painted the images. The show feels like a museum exhibit and is worth a visit. (Images via Pace Wildenstein)