Stella died of cancer at the age of 87 in his home in New York, according to reports in the New York Times and the Washington Post on Sunday, citing his wife Harriet McGurk. In a few days, one of his most famous figures will be at the Christie’s auction house in New York Works – “Concentric Squares” – will be auctioned.
Born in 1936 in the East Coast metropolis of Boston, Stella surprised the art world at the end of the 1950s with a series of completely black paintings. The black images were followed by silver and copper-colored ones. His early works included a series of “pinstripe” paintings: large works with precise black lines on bare canvas that caused a sensation in the US art world.
APA/AFP Stella’s “Concentric Squares” will soon be auctioned
As the 1960s progressed, his pictures became more colorful, including the use of fluorescent acrylic paints. Later, Stella increasingly turned to three-dimensional works, incorporating aluminum and fiberglass into his work, and eventually turning to reliefs and free-standing sculptures for public spaces.
Retrospectives in major New York museums
The artist’s works have been exhibited worldwide. Among other things, New York’s Whitney Museum dedicated the inaugural retrospective in the new building to him in 2015, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) even dedicated two retrospectives to him. Stella “changed the history of art with his early work and then moved on,” said New York Times art critic Roberta Smith of his work.
Reuters Stella and part of a sculpture he made from scrap metal
Stella came to New York because he was attracted to the local scene and artists like Jasper Johns and Jackson Pollock. “I wouldn’t have become an artist in the first place if I hadn’t liked the artists of this generation so much,” he once told the British Telegraph. He was discovered by the gallery owner Leo Castelli. “I spent a lot of time in his gallery. “He recognized me because I looked so disheveled,” Stella later claimed.
Seoul “hidden” excitement sculpture behind trees
But Stella’s works were not only met with enthusiasm. People in Seoul, South Korea, complained about the metal sculpture “Amabel” installed in their city until a small group of trees was planted around it, partially covering the work.
“What you see is what you see”
Stella’s career spanned six decades. He asked art critics to interpret his work using the oft-quoted phrase: “What you see is what you see.” Stella owned a house in the New York district of Manhattan and a studio in the north of the US East Coast metropolis.
Reuters/Morteza Nikoubazl Stella’s work began in dark colors
Although some of his works sold for millions, art did not make him rich, he claimed. According to his own statements, he stopped painting in 2000 for health reasons. He remained loyal to the second great passion in his life, driving racing cars, for a longer period of time. “I was born to drive,” he once told the New York Times.