Stella, Frank

Frank Stella became known in the late 1950s for his “Black Paintings”, which were dark, monochrome canvases showing forms with abstract geometric figures. With his motto “What you see is what you see”, he rejected any symbolic or narrative interpretations in art.

He later expanded the traditional rectangular format of paintings by creating so-called “Shaped Canvases”, works in irregular and complex forms that are on the border between painting and sculpture.

His paintings, which project into the space, became increasingly colorful and bright; many of his works are part of a series in which the swirl of colors and shapes appears in different variations. “Cones and Pillars”, for example, shows geometric shapes arranged on top of each other and in a jumble without any recognizable structure.

Stella’s late work is characterized by reliefs and large-scale sculptures that are extremely controversial. His metal sculpture “Amabel”, erected in Seoul, South Korea, was opposed by the local population until finally a small group of trees was planted to partially hide the work.