Public Affairs
Consul General of the United States Marjorie A. Ames
Remarks at the Opening of the Exhibition "Alex Katz in European Collections"
Scheringa Museum of Realist Art, Spanbroek, the Netherlands, February 11, 2007
Ladies and Gentlemen: It is a great honor for me to be with you here this afternoon to celebrate two remarkable events: the opening of the exhibition, “Alex Katz in European Collections,” and the tenth anniversary of the Scheringa Museum of Realist Art. I am a relatively recent arrival in The Netherlands, having moved here with my family only last August, and am grateful for the opportunity to come to this museum for the first of what I hope will be many visits.
But today, we are gathered here to enjoy the work of an artist who is recognized as “one of the most important figurative painters of our time.” As I thought about what I would say that might do honor to the talent and achievements of Alex Katz, I realized that there would be many present today that would be far better prepared for this task. Instead, I began to think about the affinity I feel for Alex Katz’s works. The immediacy of his portraits and how inescapable the figures are; presented on a large scale or close up. Take his paintings of Ada, for example. I know it is presumptuous to say this, but I feel like I know Ada, and that I have known her for some time. As a city dweller for most of the last 20 years, I know the “Mercer,” the “Bond Street,” and the “Facades” that Alex Katz has captured for all of us. And I am struck by the familiarity of several of Alex Katz’s landscapes, having spent time in Maine as a child and again as an adult.
But beyond the work, which is rightfully heralded for its impact on American painting over the last sixty years, is the international cooperation that that has resulted in this day and this exhibition. Consider for a moment the international effort that brought us all here today:
An American artist. A Briton born in Kingston, Jamaica who has traveled, lectured and exhibited all over the world. A foundation based in Neuss, Germany. Artwork assembled from collections all over Europe. A Dutch man and woman who have founded a museum that celebrates leading contributors to realist art from around the world.
This exhibition is a real demonstration of the way that art can touch so many people’s lives. As a diplomat, I have a personal and professional interest in international cooperation and exchange. And even in the State Department, not a place one might traditionally look to for support for the arts; we strive to foster international artistic exchanges through the Fulbright and other grant programs and to expose people from all over the world to American art and American artists through visits to the United States and our very special “Art in Embassies” program. I made the very considered choice to live my life in the world, not only in the United States, and it is a choice I cherish every single day. Because exchanges, collaborations and simply experiencing life and culture in another environment bring us closer to each other – even though we may disagree, even quite seriously – on matters large and small.
To quote Sir Edward Lucie-Smith from his remarkable essay on Alex Katz in the exhibition’s catalogue, “In his hands certain aspects of American culture and of the American environment have acquired iconic status. His paintings are epigrams about America, uniquely pithy.”
That’s rather a lot to ascribe to a single artist, and I do not know if Alex Katz would consider this description of his contributions as the accolade I am sure it is intended to be, or otherwise.
I do know that in today’s world there are many pithy depictions of America that fail to capture even the specific subject they are intended to represent. And there are broad depictions of America that may simplify the image of my country, but do not get at an essential truth. There’s a truth to Alex Katz’s work that and that has made a profound impact on the artistic landscape of the United States and has clearly touched so many other people beyond its borders.
So, it is a real pleasure for me to be here today. I would like to offer my congratulations to the Langen Foundation for curating this exhibition, and wish the Scheringa Museum many happy returns as we would say in the U.S., on the occasion of its tenth anniversary.
And now I would like to present to Sir Edward Lucie Smith with the official catalogue of this exhibition to which he made such a thoughtful contribution.