{"title":"Frank Stella","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"frank-stella-indian-birds","title":"Frank Stella: Indian Birds (Rare edition)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRare \u0026amp; Collectible\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMnuchin Gallery's exhibition, \u003cem\u003eFrank Stella: Indian Birds \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003epresented\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003ea historic first, the showing six of Stella’s\u003cem\u003e Indian Birds\u003c\/em\u003e, alongside the artist’s archival drawings and maquettes for the series. This broad display, focused on a singular body of work,  illuminates Stella’s intricate and multi-layered artistic process. This catalogue features an essay by Karen Wilkin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn October 1977, Frank Stella arrived in Ahmedabad, India, at the invitation of the prominent Sarabhai family, whose foundation regularly extended hospitality to visiting artists. Assisted by the Sarabhai’s team, Stella would complete the preparatory drawings and maquettes that form the foundation of the \u003cem\u003eIndian Bird\u003c\/em\u003e series. To begin, he would create two drawings, A and B, comprised of \u003cem\u003eirregular curves - \u003c\/em\u003earced shapes borrowed from drafting templates for railroad curves and ship curves, typically employed by engineers. By superimposing drawings A and B, Stella would create a third, which served as the blueprint for the tin alloy maquettes. The \u003cem\u003eIndian Bird \u003c\/em\u003emaquettes, displayed here as a complete set for the first time since their inaugural exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, New York in 1979, provide a rare glimpse into Stella’s detailed conceptual practice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile Stella is renowned for his prolific output, the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eIndian Birds\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eare an exceptionally rare series consisting of only a dozen works, the majority of which are housed in esteemed museums and public institutions. Fabricated in New York between 1978 and 1979, the full-scale \u003cem\u003eIndian Birds\u003c\/em\u003e are monumental creations, each scaled 5.5x times larger than their respective maquettes. Characterised by an ornate grandeur, dynamism, and dramatic light and shadow, the \u003cem\u003eIndian Birds\u003c\/em\u003e have frequently sparked comparisons to Baroque art. Indeed, it was within this series that Stella vigorously explored the figure-ground relationship, pushing it to its utmost limits. Using a transparent gridded armature to suspend his technicolor and glittered metal curves, Stella created pictorial compositions that transcended the confines of two dimensions and challenge painting’s conventional notion of flatness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrank Stella: Indian Birds\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003emarks Mnuchin Gallery’s third presentation of the artist’s oeuvre, following exhibitions of his\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eExotic Birds\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(2009) and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlack, Aluminium, and Copper Paintings\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(2012). In line with these previous exhibitions, the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eIndian Birds\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eencapsulate Frank Stella’s well-established contributions to the American artistic tradition. At the same time, as they balance gravitas and playfulness, visual opulence and intellectual rigour, the works on view in this exhibition offer contemporary audiences the opportunity to form novel perspectives on the intersection of painting and sculpture.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mnuchin Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47758164361474,"sku":"BK-MNU-FSIB-001-DE","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0401\/6226\/3204\/files\/IMG_5415_c3719612-6eab-4002-8fb4-41e8d8291ddf.jpg?v=1789491142"},{"product_id":"homage-to-frank-stella","title":"Homage to Frank Stella (Rare edition)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRare \u0026amp; Collectible\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished to accompany the 2025 Mnuchin Gallery exhibition\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eHomage to Frank Stella\u003c\/em\u003e - a commemoration of both his life and artistic legacy, the featured works illuminate the enduring significance of Stella’s diverse and exploratory oeuvre through seminal examples spanning from 1958 to 2023. The book features an essay by art historian and critic, Carter Ratcliff.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the height of the Abstract Expressionist movement, Stella redefined painting with his Black, Aluminium, and Copper series, proposing a new trajectory for the medium which presaged Minimalism. The historical significance of Stella’s early works is epitomised in pieces like\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eArbeit Macht Frei\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(1958) (Work Will Set You Free), where the haunting phrase from Auschwitz’s entrance imbues a dark, contemplative gravitas; or the copper \u003cem\u003eTelluride\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e(1960-1961), where he emphatically conveys his progression toward a more sculptural approach with a T-shaped canvas. These foundational series would naturally evolve into the asymmetrically shaped canvases, bold colours, and geometric patterns that characterise his Concentric Squares, Protractors, and Irregular Polygons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStella sought to challenge and broaden the spatial and conceptual definitions of painting, or as he explained, “what painting wants more than anything else is working space—space to grow with and expand into, pictorial space that is capable of direction and movement, pictorial space that encourages unlimited orientation and extension.” In the 1970s, Stella expanded upon these ideas by developing painted wall-constructions. The resulting works, such as\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eMaha-lat, 5.5x\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e(1978-1979) from the Indian Bird series and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNorisring\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(1982) from the Circuit series, seamlessly fuse elements from the disciplines of painting, sculpture, and printmaking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA masterfully innovative artist, Stella’s late career is further defined by his ventures into the sculptural realm, with dynamic shapes and intricate linear constructions reflecting his enduring fascination with the interplay of materials, forms, and structures. Stella’s use of Protogen RPT, a lightweight and durable resin, exemplifies his innovative approach to integrating new materials into his work. In\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eK. 179\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(2011), the combination of Protogen RPT and stainless steel tubing enables Stella to synthesise colour, shape, and movement in a manner that poetically responds to the rhythms of Domenico Scarlatti’s sonatas. Yet, it is\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eStar with square tubing\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(2016) that best crystallises Stella’s decades-long exploration of working space. This final work, echoing the early star-shaped compositions of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePort Tampa City\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(1963), encapsulates the full arc of Stella’s artistic journey and bridges the divide between minimalist painting and sculpture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFew artists have left such an indelible mark across so many artistic movements, minds, and generations as Frank Stella. His legacy, spanning nearly seven decades, stands as a testament to his profound influence on the course of contemporary art. Through his groundbreaking explorations of form, color, and spatial relationships, Stella not only challenged the conventions of art history, but also inspired generations of artists to push the limits of their own creativity. His work stands as a testament to the power of innovation in abstraction. Mnuchin Gallery’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eHomage to Frank Stella\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a tribute to the artist’s accomplishments, offering visitors a momentous opportunity to engage with the pivotal moments that defined his extraordinary career.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mnuchin Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47758191591682,"sku":"BK-MNU-HTFS-001-T","price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0401\/6226\/3204\/files\/IMG_5411_f883b3a3-90ed-45aa-b03c-e78f23a9923a.jpg?v=1789491033"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.booksaboutart.co.uk\/collections\/frank-stella.oembed","provider":"Books About Art","version":"1.0","type":"link"}