Alex Katz
In the early 1960s, there were only a few people in the world of art who appreciated the works of American portrait painter Alex Katz. At the time, abstract expressionism was more the fashion. Katz’s large-scale, flat paintings were regarded as too simple. Today, he is known as one of the pioneers of Pop Art. The 87-year-old artist still paints and presents exhibitions in galleries and museums around the world. He is always joined by his wife and muse, Ada.
We met Alex and Ada Katz in Spain, where the couple was visiting Katz’s solo exhibition, Red Hat, at Galería Javier López. We talked about the early days of his career, which included forays into fashion and modelling. Read more »
Thomas Olbricht
Thomas Olbricht is a man of action. He studied chemistry, earned a PhD, then devoted himself to obtaining another doctorate in medicine. And after setting up his own endocrinology practice, he again dipped his hand into another profession, becoming part of the supervisory committee for Wella, the hair care label that’s today belonging to international consumer products group Proctor & Gamble. While successfully devoting himself to different professions, art also plays a major role in Olbricht’s story. Maybe it’s even art that ensures the evident balance to the 66-year-old’s electic life.
Olbricht is best known as a devout follower of German artist Gerhard Richter and his editions (Olbricht co-published the latest catalog of Richter’s works.) and his private museum, me Collectors Room Berlin, which opened four years ago. The exhibitions are compiled by international junior and established curators who each work out a specific topic, present a collection from one particular collector, or highlight Olbricht’s own „accumulation of things,“ which is how he labels his collection.
We met Thomas Olbricht in his adopted home of Essen, Germany and discussed the source of his interest in art as well as his concerns about the art world today. Read more »
Erik Parker and Todd James
Erik Parker and Todd James are both American artists. While Parker spent his childhood and youth in Texas, James grew up in New York, surrounded by graffiti. Today, the Big Apple is home to both, with Parker living in Brooklyn and James in Manhattan. And it’s not only the bridges that connects them. It’s their art, too. While they each have their unique style, their works have one notable trait in common: the color palette. And it’s that stylistic device that also links them to Peter Saul and KAWS, who helped introduce the two friends. While there is a no official movement that categorizes this quartet of artists, one could be about to emerge: an increasing number of exhibitions are showcasing their work as a group.
We met Parker and James in Madrid during the opening of KnockKnock, an exhibition at Galería Javier López that examines the broad influence of cartoon culture on art. And once again, Peter Saul, KAWS, Erik Parker and Todd James are presented as a group among other artists. Read more »