Alex Katz and Vincent Katz, Swimming Home, 2013. Illustrated book with six woodcuts. Ed. of 35
Curated by Shannon Fitzgerald, Executive Director, with Katherine Page, Curator or Art and Education at the Mennello Museum of American Art.
The pool symbolizes luxury and leisure in America, and it has been captivating artists since the 1950s with bright sunlight, vibrant colors, and modernist architecture. The exhibition features artists who emerged in the mid-20th century, such as David Hockney and Alex Katz, yet their themes of pool culture, class, and leisure remain strikingly contemporary. This is further emphasized by the younger generation of artists reclaiming the narrative of the pool in relationship to family, and within more social, environmental, and civic contexts, themes relevant to our lives today.
Pool Party is an exhibition showcasing painters and photographers whose work began with the spark and excitement of that mid-century era, complemented by younger contemporary artists attracted to the same splendor and beauty, reclaiming the pool's contextual story. Arguably, the painter of the most iconic pools in art history from the Mid-Century is David Hockney, whose simplified, representational paintings depict a slice of Los Angeles, California—his personal Eden. Alex Katz's sleek swimmers capture the sensation of bright outdoor light and vibrant colors in the pools where they swim. Conversely, Ed Ruscha explored the artificiality of budget motel pools in his initial foray into color photography.
More information at: Mennello Museum of American Art