Mel Katz
We are pleased to present an exhibition of work by sculptor, Mel Katz featuring his colorful, freestanding aluminum works. A long time Portland sculptor, he is well known for exploring non-referential forms, and over time has explored various media: wood, plastics, cast concrete, linoleum and types of metal to arrive at the successful use of laser cut aluminum. His created organic form and primary colors imbue the work with an animated presence that brings these humorous sculptures to life. Highly refined in their conception they are created from large drawings and made into either life size 8’ high sculptures or 3’high models. With this work Katz continues to explore the contours of shapes, prompting consideration of both positive and negative space.
Mel Katz grew up in Brooklyn, New York and graduated from Cooper Union Art School in 1953. He moved to Portland in 1963 as a visiting artist at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. In the decades that followed, he became well known in the Northwest as a sculptor, Professor of Art for Portland State University, and as one of the founders of Portland Center for the Visual Arts. Major exhibitions include a retrospective at the Portland Art Museum, OR in 1988. His work is part of many public and private collections, including the Portland Art Museum, OR, and the Seattle and Tacoma Art Museums, WA.