Frank Stella (born 1936) is an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker known for his pivotal role in the development of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction. Stella gained prominence in the late 1950s with his series of "Black Paintings," which marked a departure from traditional painting by utilizing regular and symmetrical geometric shapes. His early works were characterized by a strict adherence to flat surfaces and a rejection of illusionistic depth. Over the years, Stella's artistic style has evolved, incorporating more complex forms and vibrant colors. He is celebrated for his innovation in materials and techniques, including the use of shaped canvases and experiments with three-dimensional structures.

 

Frank Stella's works attest to his significant impact on contemporary art as his work was included in several important exhibitions that defined 1960s art, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s The Shaped Canvas (1964–65) and Systemic Painting (1966). The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Royal Academy of Arts, and the Whitney Museum of American Art have hosted prominent solo exhibitions dedicated to Stella's influential career, as well. Stella's ability to push the boundaries of traditional painting, coupled with his exploration of form and color, has solidified his status as a key figure in modern and contemporary art.