BOOK:Frank Stella, Phaidon Publications

The monograph “Frank Stella” by Phaidon Publications covers the landmark work and latest career developments of one of today’s greatest living artists. Initially influenced by the work of the abstract expressionists, Frank Stella subsequently rejected the movement in favor of more radical forms. In 1960 Stella presented his first series of aluminium paintings at Leo Castelli, causing the first upset in a long history of experiments that saw him tackling minimalism, post-painterly abstraction, and public art. The aluminium paintings were followed by works that extended the concept of the shaped canvas, including the “Irregular Polygon” canvases (1965-67) and the later “Protractor” series (1967-71). Over the next decade, Stella introduced relief into his art, describing his approach as ‘maximalist’ painting, because of its sculptural qualities. The names of Stella’s works are significant, loading abstract images with emotional meaning. The brooding reverberations of the “Black Paintings” were amplified by provocative German titles related to National Socialism and the Nazi Party. The artist commented: “The Black Paintings were dark, very dark. Some of them needed dark titles”. In the “Had Gadya” series, the names of Stella’s prints follow the lines of the traditional song, with each new line resulting from the preceding one. This book examines Stella’s life and career in the context of the contemporary art world, featuring works from his recent blockbuster museum exhibitions as well as landmark works from throughout his career. -Dimitris Lempesis