Frank Stella changed Art

Frank Stella spent over six decades transforming the way we see and understand painting. Here we take a look back at his life, and remember why he was so important.
ALSO - please note MY error - for university Stella attended Princeton, not Harvard. I apologize for the mistake.
If you are interested in talking more about modern art, or have any modern art or design you would like to purchase or sell (I offer free evaluations) please contact me at [e-mail]
You can learn more about me and my past projects at www.christopherwestpresents.com
If you enjoy this content, please consider subscribing to this channel and thank you for watching.

[@JayBenedictBrown]

The inclusion of a section on the market is a brilliant addition.

[@christopherwestpresents]

Thank you! I never know if anyone is watching that long. Appreciate the comment.

[@missinglink9973]

Master artist painter sculptor visionary he is in my opinion one of the absolute giants of American art

[@christopherwestpresents]

I agree!

[@jeannagai5290]

Mr. “what you see is what you see” I still think about that quote 20 years later. Thank you Stella for all your life’s work. Always inspiring, from the 50s stripe paintings til his last 3D works. I didn’t like neon color in art until I saw a large assemblage painting of his from the early 80s that was up at the Centré Pompidou. There was a hot pink cone graphic sticking off the corner of the work, that was odd, almost offensive that it burned into my memory 20 years ago.

[@christopherwestpresents]

I didn’t always love the neon either. But I guess it was reflective of the era.

[@Burnedcoffee0]

Coming in to the video blind and ignorant of Stella's work, I was just about to dismiss the as not my thing, until I saw the irregular polygon paintings, those are so interesting! and the work kept getting more and more interesting as the video kept going. Really neat stuff!

[@christopherwestpresents]

I’m glad you kept watching! There seem to be two different camps - those that like the early work, and those that like the later work.

[@samlyons3552]

Please keep the Weistling family in mind ; Fantastic channel!

[@christopherwestpresents]

I really appreciate it. Thank you!

[@kenkelly5848]

As always inspiring

[@christopherwestpresents]

I really appreciate that. Thank you!

[@johnsalamone3152]

You do a great job with these videos! The perfect amount of information to introduce us to a new artist ( or gallery). Thank you!

[@christopherwestpresents]

I really appreciate that. Thank you so much!

[@Nashvillain10SE]

What a poignant, but lovely, summary of Frank Stella's life and work. Thank you for this!

[@christopherwestpresents]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@michaellitewski2352]

Thank you for another wonderful video. When I was a student at SAIC I would spend hours looking at his work, if I remember correctly, they had 3. I have taken the idea of shaped canvases to some of my works and enjoyed the excitement of moving past the typical shape of a painting. Frank has moved us to a new understanding of the "wall" and moved art forward, he will be missed but never forgotten.

[@christopherwestpresents]

Agreed! You might also really like Sam Gilliam’s work, in particular his draped paintings. I touched on them in a video about him a couple months ago.

[@robertarisz8464]

very timely video - keep you the great work - much appreciated!

[@christopherwestpresents]

I really appreciate it. Thank you!

[@cortezcabret9408]

Awesome!❤

[@christopherwestpresents]

I really appreciate it. Thank you!

[@rickyberkey9313]

Thanx Chris. I was only vaguely aware of Frank Stella but this was a nice overview of his long career. I love his work. Those newest pieces are incredible!

[@christopherwestpresents]

They are! And can you imagine having a home where you could put them???

[@pallivan]

Great channel! Greetings from Iceland

[@christopherwestpresents]

Love my international viewers. Thanks!

[@hollymariereads]

Loved this. Subscribed 😉

[@christopherwestpresents]

Thank you so much!

[@WillN2Go1]

Good video. The price of living a long life are all the obituaries you have to read. At Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art the Temporary Space since renamed after David Geffen, during their inaugural show back in about 1985 had a Stella black painting hung at the end of a long passage. Brilliant combination of curating, hanging and art (obviously) as you approached it the glossy black paint would reflect light and appear lighter than the matte 'white' lines. Then as you got near it the reflection would vanish and it appeared as Stella had painted it. This takes three 'good eyes' for this to happen. First, Stella making the painting, then some smart curator at MOCA, and then sharp eyed art lovers. If you want a Stella, get a square canvas, gesso it, leaving it matte. Then with a ruler and a pencil outline the black stripes. Then using gloss black paint (use acrylic - easier to clean up any mistakes.) carefully follow the pencil lines. It's okay to leave some pencil showing along the edges.(Stella did.) On the back paint a big note "Fake." (I've got my art, art of friends -- some of whom are important, and some DIY 'fakery.' If you die and some greedy relative drives all the auction houses nuts trying to get one of them to 'authenticate' your fake Stella, it will cast doubt on everything else.)

[@christopherwestpresents]

I of course would never condone such actions 😉 - unless of course I really disliked my relatives!

[@carlfredrikemrik]

Great video man, keep it up! Would love one on the Italian architect Ettore Sottsass:)))

[@christopherwestpresents]

Great idea! Sottsasss is a favorite of mine.

[@nikita3.14]

Again a nice video!

[@christopherwestpresents]

Thank you! 🙏

[@keziafrederick8262]

great video!!

[@christopherwestpresents]

So nice of you to say. Thanks for the comment!

[@star_wars_miniatures]

More random video ideas for you : separate videos for each maybe but you could do a video on the backstory of the two major modern art galleries The Gagosian and The Pace gallery.

[@christopherwestpresents]

Oh that sounds fun! Could include Zwirner and Hauser too and do a mega gallery show. I like it!

[@star_wars_miniatures]

@@christopherwestpresents glad you like my idea! Also White Cube is a pretty huge one to include too!

[@JohnMoseley]

How weird. I was just thinking about Stella yesterday and then this showed up in my feed and I thought KZbin had read my mind. Hadn't heard he'd died.

[@christopherwestpresents]

I’m pretty sure google knows all our thoughts. Thanks so much for watching. And the comment!

[@NY_Mountain_Man]

Consider me a new subscriber. Thanks man.

[@christopherwestpresents]

I really appreciate it. Thanks so much!

[@danjensen8777]

He went to Princeton 1:39

[@christopherwestpresents]

Yeah I corrected that in the description, but unfortunately no one reads the description. Thanks for watching!

[@josebadinella]

very, very...VERY well done Sir

[@christopherwestpresents]

So nice of you to say! And the comment is so appreciated.

[@MrDBcooper77]

🍿👽

[@christopherwestpresents]

🍸😈

[@MrDBcooper77]

@@christopherwestpresents Ha! Touché my friend

[@zatoichimasseur6767]

Il get a couple of Frank Frazzettas for those prices instead.

[@christopherwestpresents]

To each their own!

[@drobbi]

he went to Princeton, not Harvard.

[@christopherwestpresents]

Well shit. You’re totally right. As I was doing research, I came across an article that said Harvard - and unfortunately didn’t think about his college years again. Thanks for pointing that out. I will update the show notes.

[@drobbi]

@@christopherwestpresents He gave the Norton Lectures at Harvard. But that's another kettle of fish.