Frank Stella, an iconic figure in the minimalist movement, has died at 87 from lymphoma at his home in Manhattan. Stella, born into an Italian American family, was immersed in art from an early age, influenced by both his parents. He began his formal artistic training in high school under Patrick Morgan and expanded his education at Princeton University, where he was inspired by abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollock and Franz Kline.
At just 23, Stella made his mark with a debut at New York's Museum of Modern Art with his "Black Paintings" series. These works, characterized by simple black stripes, challenged traditional art norms by emphasizing the canvas's flatness, encapsulating his philosophy that "What you see is what you see." He further explored this minimalist approach in his Aluminum and Copper Paintings series.
A pivotal moment in his career was a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art when he was just 33, making him the youngest artist to receive such recognition at the time. In the 1990s, Stella’s style evolved to include colorful geometric patterns and digital technology, most notably in his "Moby Dick" series which fused printmaking, painting, and sculpture.
Stella's numerous accolades, including the National Medal of Arts and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Sculpture Center, underscore his significant impact on the art world. His passing is a profound loss for the realm of American minimalism, leaving a legacy marked by innovation and a commitment to the simplicity of visual language.