Heroin, oil on hardboard, 30 x 40”, 1971
In 1971, Katona began a serious painting of a heroin addict. But the man could not hold a pose, and Katona used himself as the model. To be authentic, he tried heroin several times. The finished work was shown at the First Colorado Biennial exhibition at the Denver Art Museum, and published in a Denver Post article, January 2, 1972. The painting was used for invitations and a poster of a 1972 play about drug addiction, Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?