Yellow Flags on Brown (Albertina 791) is a typical Flowers print by Alex Katz. For over six decades, Alex Katz has drawn inspiration from all types of flowers, transforming wind-blown tiger lilies, marigolds, roses, and petunias into iconic works of Pop Art. This resulted in important works such as Blue Flags and Summer Flowers. By the 1950s, Katz was frustrated that his portraits lacked a sense of movement, so he began painting the wildflowers he discovered near his summer home in Maine. “When I painted the first groups of figures, The Cocktail Party and Lawn Party, I felt they weren’t moving enough,” he said of that moment of inspiration. “And that’s one of the reasons I did the big flower paintings.” Over time, Katz’s floral renderings became more vibrant and lively, often with stems growing in all directions, petals cascading through the air and leaves scattered across the composition. “You can’t look at one thing for a long time, the eye is moving everywhere and in constant motion,” he explained. At a remarkable 180 inches long, Katz’s Red Tulips (1967) is among the artist’s top auction records and sold for $690,600 at Sotheby’s in 2007.

In art history, the color yellow carries various meanings and interpretations depending on the context and cultural references. Here are some of the common associations and symbolic representations of yellow:

1. Light and Illumination: Yellow is often associated with light and brightness. It can represent the sun, warmth, and radiant energy. Artists may use yellow to convey a sense of illumination or to emphasize areas of light within a composition.
2. Happiness and Joy: Yellow is frequently associated with positive emotions such as happiness, cheerfulness, and optimism. It can evoke feelings of joy and warmth, and artists sometimes use yellow to convey a sense of happiness or to create a vibrant and lively atmosphere.
3. Creativity and Intellect: Yellow is sometimes associated with intellectual pursuits and creativity. It can represent mental stimulation, curiosity, and innovation. In certain contexts, yellow may be used to symbolize the thought process or imaginative thinking.
4. Attention and Focus: Yellow is a highly visible color that can attract attention. It is often used to draw the viewer’s gaze to specific elements or areas within an artwork. Yellow can create a sense of emphasis or highlight important details.
5. Symbolic Meanings: In different cultures and contexts, yellow may carry specific symbolic meanings. For example, in some Eastern cultures, yellow is associated with royalty, power, and spirituality. In Western cultures, yellow can sometimes symbolize caution or warning (as in road signs).

It is important to note that the interpretation of colors can vary depending on personal experiences, cultural backgrounds, and artistic intentions. Artists often utilize colors in combination with other visual elements to evoke specific emotions or convey particular messages within their artwork.

In spring 2023, the new Flowers “Purple Irises on Red”, “Purple Irises on White”, “Yellow Flags on White” and “Yellow Flags on Brown” have been published. Likewise, the new Albertina catalogue raisonné, 1947-2022, has also been published.

Alex Katz / Pioneer of Pop Art

Alex Katz is especially famous for his figurative paintings: The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, he was born in New York in 1927. As a pioneer of Pop Art, he always concentrated on the essentials and early on, he dealt with simplified forms and contrasting color compositions. His art is diverse, but always has beauty as its central theme. The artist can now look back on more than 200 solo and around 500 group exhibitions; his diverse works are part of over 100 collections worldwide. Alex Katz lives and works in New York and Maine.