Painter/sculptor Katz is known for his brightly-colored canvases fusing figural, landscape, and abstract painting.

A Brooklyn native, Katz studied at the Cooper Union and Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and Maine has figured prominently in his work ever since. Known for his large, bold, and colorful palette and paintings on cut panels of aluminum and wood, his work is considered a precursor to the Pop Art movement. Although he has been working since the 50s, he didn't rise to prominence until the 80s. He's completed numerous high-profile commissions, such as a billboard in Times Square in 1977 and a massive billboard above the Battery Bar in 2005. Additionally, he's collaborated with numerous artists, including poets like Ted Berrigan, Ann Lauterbach, and John Asbury, and his groundbreaking work has earned him numerous awards and fellowships over his fifty year career. [Image via Getty]