Biography
Frank Stella’s exhibition of eleven recent sculptures, free-standing and wall mounted, some on a monumental scale, combine unpainted stainless steel tubing and carbon fibre. The looping, interwoven tubing creates three dimensional sculptures which suggest movement and volume, as well as lightness and delicacy. They have the quality of spontaneous, linear drawings or sketches, suspended in space. Stella states, after all, the aim of art is to create space – space that is not compromised by decoration or illustration, space within which the subjects of painting can live.
‘Penasar’ (2005), made from wide, circular loops around a steel cone, appears to spring upwards from the textural ‘wings’ which make up its base. Recalling the flight associated contraptions of da Vinci and Tatlin, ‘Penasar’ creates a vortex spiralling to a point beyond the sculpture. The wall sculptures, such as ‘Mgarap Bangke’ (2004), incorporate moulded sections of dark carbon fibre, with metal tubing and geometric support structures, which twist and turn like the movement of a rollercoaster or slide.
Stella’s titles are Balinese words and phrases taken from a photographic essay written in 1942 by Margaret Meade and Gregory Bateson entitled Balinese Character. These titles are chosen not to allude to Balinese culture but to increase the enigma of the art works.
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Frank Stella, Bale pebasmean, 2005 Stainless steel with carbon fibre 106 x 156 x 156 in / 269.2 x 396.2 x 396.2 cm
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Frank Stella, Bale Pebasmean (model), 2004 Stainless steel with carbon fibre 22 x 17 x 17 in / 55.9 x 43.2 x 43.2 cm
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Frank Stella, Boedjoeh, 2005 Stainless steel and aluminium with carbon fibre 120 x 120 x 168 in / 304.8 x 304.8 x 426.7 cm
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Frank Stella, Djailing, 2004 Sstainless steel with carbon fibre 43 x 28 x 36 in / 109.2 x 71 x 91.4 cm
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Frank Stella, Mantri, 2004 Stainless steel with carbon fibre 79 x 42 1/2 x 56 in / 200.7 x 107.9 x 142.2 cm
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Frank Stella, Mgarap Bangke, 2004 stainless steel with carbon fibre 175.3 x 185.4 x 160 cm
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Frank Stella, Penasar, 2005 Stainless steel, aluminium, steel, ceramic shell, fibreglass with carbon fibre 121 x 137 x 204 in / 307.3 x 348 x 518.2 cm
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Frank Stella, Segseg, 2004 Stainless steel and copper printing plate with carbon fibre 55 1/2 x 50 x 50 in / 140.9 x 127 x 127 cm