Alex Katz | David Salle is the first international exhibition at auroras. Belonging to different generations, Alex Katz (New York, 1927) was a member of the Pop movement and has been a respected and influential figure on the American scene since the late 1950s. David Salle (Oklahoma, 1952), a student of John Baldessari at CalArts, was a key figure of the painting generation in the 1980s and was part of the Pictures Generation, marked by the appropriation of images. The human figure, present in the work of both artists, arises in different ways: in the case of Salle, as a starting point in the creation of an entirely new image, composed by the juxtaposition of several elements carefully chosen by the artist; whilst in Katz’s portraits, the figure epitomizes the “moment” he always seeks to capture in his paintings, marked by quick gestures, strong colors, and flat surfaces. Also in common between both artists, friends for nearly 40 years, besides the presence of the human figure on their canvases, is their serious investment in the renewal of language in the creation of their paintings. The major museums in the world, such as the Museum of Modern Art New York, Tate Modern, Centre Georges Pompidou, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Artand Art Institute of Chicago, have works of both artists in their collections.

“Salle collects diverse elements of art in a single canvas. His control of space is masterful. His use of color and line is unique”. Alex Katz

“His possession of the life force comes straight through to the paint itself. Paying close attention to his work is like attending a one-man art school: all the basics are illuminated. Katz is very, very good at the what – that is to say, he is always on the lookout for a dynamite image, an image that makes of its subject something iconic; the enduring part of his art, however, lies in the how”.  David Salle