Complete Sketches But Incomplete Pictures

Step backstage with Alex Katz’s Theater and Dance as you’re welcomed into the inner workings of an artist. 

Alex Katz is a painter who over the course of his career, has collaborated with many dancers and choreographers, and has had a grand contribution to theater overall. This exhibit at the Frye allows you to reflect on Katz’s work over the years, featuring anything from thoughtful behind-the-scenes sketches to eye-catching wall-length backdrops. 

Walking into the humble Frye Museum, you are immediately greeted by two of Alex Katz’ paintings as Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 plays in the background. The tranquil and spacious room allows you to take your time with each piece presented to you. While the main attraction could be the several sizable paintings provided, it’s difficult to miss the other mediums provided throughout the collection too. The multitude of other art forms provided by Katz include sketches, set designs, and a video production of a dance routine towards the back of the exhibit. Yet one of the more memorable pieces were two dog cutouts made by Katz using oil on aluminum, which was displayed on the floor of the exhibit. In its description, it was stated that 35 of these cutouts were scattered around the stage of Paul Taylor’s Diggity. I was drawn to the idea of dancers having to perform skillfully  while also avoiding the dogs. It impressed me to imagine a stage full of dancers focused on taking the right steps while actively avoiding obstacles that could lead to injuries. 

Unfortunately though, with a range as wide as Alex Katz’s portfolio, some mediums in the collection clearly outshone the others. While looking around the exhibit, I felt out of touch with many of the paintings. The dancers printed onto the canvas felt stiff and rigid, lacking the grace I had expected from a usually fluid motion. Each movement was lifeless on the canvas, clearly a posed stance instead of a snapshot of a dance. The tameness I felt could also have come from the general ambiance of the space. While the collection had been described with such vibrancy in the exhibit’s description, many art pieces were sullen and grey, which dampened the exhibit overall. While this scheme isn’t necessarily a negative thing, it felt misleading for the exhibit’s description to suggest that the collection was much more lively than it was.

The physical composition of the exhibit also left me confused. Several times the theme felt inconsistent, especially when I stumbled upon a painting of George Washington among dancers. With the way each art piece was arranged, I heavily relied on their descriptions to understand their context. This took away from the experience of truly appreciating the art, which was something I had already struggled with. Thankfully, at least, the diversity of this collection did allow me to find something to my liking. Playing through a projector on the wall was a video recording of a performance that had been the inspiration for many of the paintings displayed, carrying the grace that those paintings had lacked. The video offered an understanding of what Katz tried to portray on the canvas, the performance demanding the attention that his paintings failed to attract. 

Scattered between the paintings were smaller, more intimate sketches that laid out the thought process behind Katz’s designs. I was intrigued by the several sketches that didn’t demand much space, but captured the form of a man in thought. One piece was a watercolor sketch of a costume design for a play, and though the sketch wasn’t  heavily detailed you could still recognize it as the beginnings of  a grander picture. For those who are fans of theater and go in with prior general knowledge, they can definitely appreciate the exclusive look at what steps Katz took that brought him to his final product. They could also appreciate the fact that the exhibit allows you to truly get a closer look at the props and backdrops used on sets, one room in the exhibit including an oil-on-canvas backdrop that Katz had painted for the play Shopping and Waiting. The backdrop included a black and white image of different items and animals sitting on a store’s shelf, and its large size made it hard to miss. However, because the exhibit heavily compiled many of Katz’s paintings, the more informal pieces were overshadowed, and I couldn’t find myself appreciating them due to the dismissive attitude I developed towards those paintings. 

As I continued walking around the gallery, the harsh conclusion I reached was that though Katz’s brushstrokes may be impressive, they hold no weight. Unless you had the general knowledge to truly understand what each painting portrayed, it was difficult to find the emotion and personal connection that would make them memorable. A newcomer would take these displays at face value, seeking a story within each brushstroke and finding none. However, to someone who has had a love for dance and its history, I do believe they would adore this exhibit, as you really get to see more than the final product. Through set designs and the sketches of several costumes, you’re allowed a window into Katz’s mind as he tries to bring a production to life beyond dance itself. 

While this collection may not have been to my liking, I do think this exhibit is truly one of those things where the quality all leads down to the viewer. If you are new to modern art and simply want to visually admire art, I would not recommend this exhibit as an introduction. I left with a disconnection towards the art, lacking the knowledge to appreciate this exhibit to its fullest. But as I said, if you have a love for not only visual art but of dance and theater, this would be a wonderful experience for you. While I may not have enjoyed this exhibit as much as I would’ve liked to, I will say that the multiple mediums of art that showcase Katz’s ability do offer something for everyone. Whether you prefer insight behind the scenes, a command of color, or simply the experience of witnessing something new, this exhibit does keep you entertained, one way or another. 

Lead photo: Installation view of Alex Katz: Theater and Dance , Frye Art Museum, Seattle, February 22 – June 8, 2025. © 2025 Alex Katz / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Photo: Jueqian Fang 

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