Frank Stellas Black Series Paintings

Introduction

Frank Stella is a prolific American painter working in the minimalist genre. His works display an array of skills and high technical mastery while also challenging the idea of art as a monolith. In particular, the present discussion will concern his Black Painting series a collection of early paintings made by the man. To discuss the mans work in detail while also gaining a deeper understanding of the Black Paintings, it is possible to see the paintings from the perspective of different critics. This work will summarize the ideas and thoughts of three different art critics regarding Frank Stellas approach to painting and their appraisal of the black series in particular. As a result, it will be possible to gain an array of interpretations, impressions, and analyses about a single collection of art. In addition, my personal outlook on mans art will also be featured. Critical review and scrutiny are two of the primary ways the public is able to interact with art, imbue it with meaning or note the lack thereof. The process is necessary in order to better understand the genre of abstract painting and art as a whole.

Critical Perspective

Virginia Spivey

First for review is the perspective of Virginia B. Spivey, a historian and educator who discusses Stellas work in the context of the authors intended meaning. Throughout her appraisal, Spivey details both the history of the artist, his intent, and his work process (Spivey, n.d.). All of the above work gives the reader the necessary context to interpret mans art. In addition, most of Stellas art is understood in active opposition to the genre of abstract impressionism, which seeks to fulfill goals diametrically opposite to his. Spiveys appraisal paints Stellas work as inherently lacking a sort of meaning people come to associate with art. Compared to his contemporaries and predecessors, the man chooses to actively distance himself from imbuing his art with a symbolic or emotional meaning, attempting to limit the range of possible interpretations. Using Strong lines, forms, and shapes in the Black Painting series, Stella presents art in its rawest form, a collection of colors on a canvas, all arranged into a specific order. Spivey compares Stellas work with other minimalist art, highlighting its tendency to present abstract forms. The lack of a portrayed object, symbol, or any specific imagery seeks to separate art from the world it was created in. In this vein, Stellas painting relies much less strongly on conveying an idea than on simply impressing the viewer with the mans technical skills. Spivey presents Stellas art career as an endeavor of erasing subjectivity while highlighting a simple marvel of painting and using provocative naming conventions.

Peter Schjeldahl

Schjeldahl of the New Yorker is the second person to discuss Stellas art in the context of its meaning and appearance to the public. Like Spivey, Schjeldahl understands the Black Painting series and the others that come before it as a challenge to impressionism and artistic meaning. However, compared to Spivey, the mans outlook is much more skeptical, calling into question the excessive coldness of Stellas artistic method and the intent to avoid artistic meaning. For Schjeldahl, the mans art presentation contradicts his central notion of what you see is what you see by using provocative titles and avoiding any potentially recognizable shapes in favor of minimalism (Schjeldahl, 2015). In this vein, Schjeldahl highlights a contradiction between titles that have a subjective meaning to them and the paintings themselves, which are said to contain no deeper layers to them. The critic seems perplexed at the challenge of seeing or comprehending Stellas art and makes a solid case as to why this might present a problem to viewers.

ARTDEX

The last notable evaluation of Frank Stellas work comes from ARTDEX, an online platform for connecting artists and creating communities. For their discussion, the website writers, similar to previous critics, chose to highlight Stellas journey towards separating art from meaning and the mans own ideas about minimalism (ARTDEX, 2021). However, the source chooses to actively represent Stellas art career as a path of simplicity taken to its peak, a perfection of technical mastery that came from practical knowledge. The Black Painting series, in this context, is the work that cemented Stellas name in the art world and allowed the man to become a staple of both minimalism and impressionism. Compared to Schjeldahl or Spivey, ARTDEXs writers are much less critical or skeptical of the mans artistic legacy, instead choosing to display him as an important stepping stone and a famous creator. While the throughlines of a similar narrative shine in each of the reviews, the outlook they create as a result changes significantly depending on the writers focus.

My Personal Outlook

Having to examine and discuss Frank Stellas art in comparison to his predecessors, contemporaries, and successors has given me the ability to form my own opinion on mans art. I think that most of the sentiments shared by the critics regarding the Black Painting series are correct, with the art collections impressive display of technical skill being apparent. In addition, I think that Stellas idea of what art is, or should be, is clearly demonstrated in his artistic direction and in the reception his art received. However, I must also agree with Schjeldahl, who was conflicted about the mans place in modern art history. The intent and ideas of Stellas work are clear, but their interpretation remains almost a complete mystery. In abstract art, a viewers personal relationship to a piece of work forms a major portion of their appreciation for it, and Stellas effort of denouncing that feels almost useless. Despite his presented lack of meaning or any solid ideas expressed in the work, it is possible to read the Black Painting series existence in a cultural, historical, and philosophic context. Mans insistence on using provocative titles further drives this effort and gives audiences a possible mode of interacting with Stellas art, which practically goes against the mans very artistic intent.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said that Frank Stella is a difficult artist to discuss or properly understand. The common critical sentiment agrees that his work bears an especially large impact on todays minimalism and impressionism fields while also highlighting its signature simplicity. The work of art criticism most often thrives in finding a subjective understanding of art, using a medium of comparison or appraisal to judge art. However, the process of interpretation itself goes harshly against what Frank Stella stood for. It is impossible to fully gain a sense of what mans art means in the public context.