Study for Albany Mall [panel 2] 1968

This is Frank Stella’s ‘Study for Albany Mall’ panel 2. I can see him there with his pencils and rulers, working out this interlocking design. It feels very precise and architectural. These clean curving bands of colour remind me of city planning, maps and diagrams. It’s a real mix of pale pastel tones and richer shades such as teal, magenta, and crimson. It’s a balancing act, with the colours creating a kind of harmony. Looking at this, I think about artists like Josef Albers playing with geometries and colour theory, but Stella brings a different kind of energy. Stella’s using painting to explore space, surface, and structure in fresh ways. The negative space becomes as important as the painted forms. He's making the design sing, and making it his own. We see this same exchange of ideas and invention between painters all the time! The way an artist can take something familiar, give it a twist, and make us see the world in a new way.