“Though she is positioned in different places, she is not defined by them. It is as though Ada precedes these things, these moments. We are shown over and over that externals are extraneous, and that her demeanor is a constant.”
Executed in 1985, Alex Katz’s Parrot Jungle is a vibrant and captivating example of the artist’s iconic portraiture. Katz’s distinctive style is epitomized in this dynamic portrayal of his most celebrated muse: his beloved wife, Ada Katz. Since the couple’s meeting in 1957, Ada’s likeness – readily identifiable in the present portrait – has become Katz’s signature gesture. Ada’s t.mes less beauty has provided endless inspiration for Katz’s boldly simplified style, which is influenced by the flatness of Japanese prints and the 1950s Pop Art movement. Painted on a singularly impressive scale, the eye-popping electric yellows, greens, and blues of the present work reveal the influence of Pop artists, who sought to imitate the design of commercial billboards and advertisements. In the present portrait, Katz crafts a vibrant interior scene to immortalize Ada, forever his most recognizable and iconic muse.
Alex Katz's Portraits of Ada in Museum collects ions
Casually yet elegantly garbed in bright yellow sweater and crisply collared blue shirt, Ada’s attire in Parrot Jungle immediately speaks to Katz’s interest in fashion, which he explored in portraits throughout his career. This interest is particularly apparent in Katz’s paintings from the 1980s, when the artist began painting subjects sporting designer garments. In Parrot Jungle, the playful graphic of Ada’s sweater adds an element of lightheartedness to an otherwise contemplative depiction of the artist’s wife. ‘Parrot Jungle’ is, most likely, a reference to an adventure park in Miami, Florida, previously of the same name; now called Jungle Island, this park allows visitors to wander through its enclosed wilderness home to thousands of exotic birds. As complements to Ada’s sartorial choices, Katz emphasizes elements of the interior that surround Ada: the green pillow on which she rests her head enriches the painting with its dynamic zig-zag pattern, while the salmon-pink pillow adds a pop of color to the surrounding darker, earthy tones. Through these subtle visual elements, Katz alludes to the personality of his sitter, without explicitly revealing the nature of his enigmatic muse.
In Parrot Jungle – as in all of his most iconic portraits of Ada – Katz’s signature, simplified painterly technique foregrounds his sitter’s distinguishing features of black hair, full lips, and hazel eyes. His cropped framing of Ada’s torso and face accentuates these features, while his planar composition simultaneously blends them with elements of the interior: her dark hair merges with the rich black of the daybed on which she is reclining, as her sweater blends with the bright yellow of the surrounding space. This employment of color to unify the subject with her surroundings is likewise a signature element of Katz’s painterly style, and imbues his paintings with a t.mes less elegance: it is as if Ada has always lain on this couch, and will remain in repose for eternity. One scholar, Ann Beattie, writes, “Though she [Ada] is positioned in different places, she is not defined by them. It is as though Ada precedes these things, these moments. We are shown over and over that externals are extraneous, and that her demeanor is a constant.” (Ann Beattie, Alex Katz, New York, 1987, p. 39)
With Ada’s pose, Katz references the historical tradition of female portraiture by male artists, such as Ingres’ Grande Odalisque and Manet’s Olympia. Ada’s expression, however, is not that of a seductress: she is instead uninterested in the viewer, inviting us to look at her, but not caring to meet our gaze. Beattie describes Ada’s introspective look, “She is not of any moment, and is presented as self-contained, looking inward rather than outward—a symbol, in short, of a pleasing attitude or state of mind. At the same t.mes , she appears real because she is tactile, sensuous, and inviting. It is an amazing feat that Katz has painted both a woman and a symbol.” (Ann Beattie, Alex Katz, New York, 1987, p. 40)
“She is not of any moment, and is presented as self-contained, looking inward rather than outward—a symbol, in short, of a pleasing attitude or state of mind. At the same t.mes , she appears real because she is tactile, sensuous, and inviting. It is an amazing feat that Katz has painted both a woman and a symbol.”
Exemplified in Parrot Jungle, Katz’s focus on figuration was a radical departure from the Abstract Expressionism that dominated the art world at the moment the young artist embarked upon his practice. His commitment to figuration would lead him to become a leading figure in contemporary figurative painting, and he is today amongst the most celebrated and highly recognized living artists. Throughout his career however, Katz has refrained from aligning himself with any one specific art movement, instead remaining a painter who forges his own path and practice. Readily apparent in the present work, painting from life is a critical feature of that practice: for Katz, it is critical to capture the essence of his subjects paused in a specific moment. To do so, Katz meticulously highlights certain details, allowing his viewers clues about the subject, without revealing too much about personality. This expert distillation of elements is the key to Katz’s intriguing and enduring portraits. Foremost amongst these, Parrot Jungle is an exemplar of Katz’s singular technique, leaving any viewer with a lasting impressing of the immediate, enigmatic, and utterly unforgettable beauty of Ada.
