Alex Katz's Seaside Exhibitions in England Reveal His 'Present Tense' Painting Philosophy

Alex Katz presented two concurrent exhibitions in England during 2012-2013, exploring coastal themes through his distinctive visual language. At Turner Contemporary in Margate, 'Give Me Tomorrow' featured ocean-themed paintings alongside a corridor display spanning forty years of his career, including the early collage 'Sea Land Sky' (1959). This compact grouping functioned as a retrospective within the exhibition, demonstrating the consistency of his vision. The Margate presentation included works like 'Beige Ocean' (1999), which uses faint gestures and close color tones to evoke fluid motion and emotional calm. Concurrently, Timothy Taylor Gallery in London hosted a September 2012 exhibition of recent flower and portrait paintings, including innovative double portraits like 'Ada' and 'Chris' (2012) that present the same model from multiple angles within a single frame. Katz described his artistic ethos as a response to Abstract Expressionism's existential nature, offering a counterpoint of pleasure and ease. His method involves a systematic preparation process followed by rapid, improvisational painting, which he compares to jazz. The artist emphasizes painting in the 'present tense,' creating a cool modernity focused on being present and at ease. The exhibitions were collaborations between Tate St Ives and Turner Contemporary, with the Margate show running from October 2012 to January 2013 following its St Ives presentation from May to September 2012.