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De la nada vida a la nada muerte

A work made of metallic powder in polymer emulsion on canvas.
© 2018 Frank Stella / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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  • A work made of metallic powder in polymer emulsion on canvas.

Date:

1965

Artist:

Frank Stella
American, born 1936

About this artwork

Known for his early stripe paintings and elaborately shaped canvases, the prodigiously inventive Frank Stella always works in series. De la nada vida a la nada muerte is the largest of his Running V paintings—a set of large, monochromatic striped pictures whose titles derive from colloquial Spanish expressions. The length and mellifluous sound of this work’s title, which literally means “From life nothing to death nothing,” coincides with the rising and falling visual cadences of the painting. The two-dimensional surface, which appears as if it might continue into infinity, consists of 20 parallel lines and seems to alternately project from and recede into the wall. Although Stella’s rigorously calibrated surface, immaculate execution, and use of monochromatic gold pigment temper this painting, they barely constrain its kinetic exuberance.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Contemporary Art

Artist

Frank Stella

Title

De la nada vida a la nada muerte

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1965

Medium

Metallic powder in polymer emulsion on canvas

Dimensions

205.7 × 744.2 cm (81 × 293 in.)

Credit Line

Ada S. Garrett Prize Fund

Reference Number

1966.335

Copyright

© 2018 Frank Stella / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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