Architectural Digest takes a tour of Alex Katz’s live/work space in Soho

Whether in his native New York—he grew up in Queens and studied at Cooper Union—or in Maine, his summer haven for more than half a century, Katz is a seven-days-a-week kind of guy. That’s why he has always favored a live/work space. “In the country, my studio is a couple hundred yards from my house,” he says, his feet resting on a marble-top table while he chats. “I’m pretty much consumed by work.” He’ll often paint into the evening, after supper.

That drive has translated into an impressive oeuvre and a reputation that has built steadily over the past six decades. His latest retrospective, “Alex Katz Prints,” will be on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston from April 28 to July 29. The show features about 150 works, primarily prints but also paintings, illustrated books, and “Rush,” a 1971 series that Katz gave to the institution last year. Comprising 37 heads painted on cutout aluminum, “Rush” depicts the artist’s circle—in other words, New York’s culturati of the ’60s and ’70s.

Artist Alex Katz’s Soho Loft (Architectural Digest)