In the 1950s, Alex Katz emerged as a distinctive voice in the American art scene, offering a refreshing alternative to the abstract and expressionist currents that dominated the period. This decade was marked by Katz's innovative approaches to traditional subjects in painting, including portraits, landscapes, and still lifes, which set the stage for his subsequent influence on the Pop Art movement. Katz's work from this era is characterized by a deliberate simplification of composition, where he pared down his visuals to their most fundamental elements. This method not only challenged the prevailing abstract trends but also prefigured the later Pop Art movement's fascination with the everyday and the iconic. His early manifesto declared an intention to rejuvenate these traditional subjects, a goal he pursued with vigor throughout the decade. During the 1950s, Katz also began experimenting with collages, drawing inspiration from Henri Matisse's cut-paper constructions. These smaller, more intimate works provided a counterpoint to his larger paintings and showed his willingness to explore the boundaries between different artistic mediums. By the end of the decade, Katz had started creating his "cutouts," innovative works that stood at the intersection of painting and sculpture, showcasing his continual push towards new forms of expression. Despite the dominance of Abstract Expressionism at the time, Katz's dedication to figurative painting did not waver. He took significant inspiration from the portraiture of Édouard Manet, focusing on the interplay between figure and ground. It was also during the 1950s that Katz met his lifelong muse, Ada, who would become a central figure in his work. However, the artist's commitment to his unique vision meant that many of his works from this period were destroyed, as they found little audience among the critics and public accustomed to the painterly abstraction of the time. "Brand-New & Terrific: Alex Katz in the 1950s," a major exhibition organized by the Colby College Museum of Art, showcases this critical period in Katz's career, offering insight into his early development and the formation of his distinctive style. Featuring a wide range of paintings, cutouts, and collages, the exhibition highlights Katz's pioneering contributions to postwar American art and his lasting impact on subsequent generations of artists​ (Home | Cleveland Museum of Art)​​ (Colby College Museum of Art)​.