Guggenheim Presents "Alex Katz: Gathering"

When the High Museum of Art presented 60 works by Alex Katz in 2015, I learned and wrote about how the artist captures "quick things passing" as part of his craft. 

Borrowing lyrics from the Olympic anthem "One Moment in Time," Katz succeeds in enabling viewers of his works to "feel eternity" in frozen family memories, knowing glances of friends, still scenes from nature or portraits of his muse and wife, Ada, depicted 1,000+ times since they met and married in 1957.

So, when summer news reports emerged announcing the Guggenheim would present a "career retrospective" in the Frank Lloyd Wright rotunda, I marked my calendar for an autumn return to Manhattan for the potential assemblage of "must see masterpieces." 

Of course, curiosity piqued while wondering whether Katz's 1976 work "Olympic Swimmer" might appear (as it was absent at the High).

Though this five-ringed work is not presented in "Alex Katz: Gathering" on view through Feb. 20, there are dozens of other gorgeous and thoughtful canvases -- including some aquatic depictions -- as well as cutouts, collages and sketches that easily justified the special journey to Manhattan in November. 

Sadly, life and procrastination brought me to this point of posting a review just days before the exhibition closes, much later than intended when the museum press office kindly provided a media ticket for access.

If you are fortunate to be in or near the Upper East Side area through Monday, this gathering is well worth a visit. 

Though the works are presented chronologically for Guggenheim visitors to experience while ascending the iconic atrium ramp, once my ticket was scanned, I made a bee line to the elevator to enjoy the works top down. 

In my two-hour descent starting with the artist's most recent works, I enjoyed piecing together relevance to earlier works then affirming some hunches via the wall texts. 

Over here, an assortment of portraits. 

Over there, a docent trying her darndest to keep some third graders' attention on a backyard scene. 

New to my eyes and Katz awareness: the artist's many two-sided cutouts, sometimes life-sized, others as solo or grouped busts. A couple of the five-foot cutouts featuring a man and woman in 1970s attire were positioned as though chatting along the ramp's circular rail, while another cutout of a man seemed to be strolling toward a nearby painting.

While studying several works for a few minutes each, no singular Katz consistently stopped people in their tracks more that the large 1980 canvas titled "Song" featuring a trio of musicians at a piano, as well as "Cocktail Party" featuring an urban soiree of 1965. 

The exhibit also featured oversized flowers and dynamic portraits that resonated with this writer and Katz fan. I simply love his shoreline paintings depicting sunshine or moonlight dancing on the waters of their foregrounds. The eyes of his portraits always captivate my gaze as well. 

Indicative of the show's popularity in its early weeks, the museum was out of exhibition catalogues. Exiting through the gift shop empty-handed was OK, however, given the enrichment secured while viewing so many of the nonagenarian's works in one place. 

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver