Frank Stella, Hark! from The Waves Series, 1988

Artist: Frank Stella (1936 - )
Title:Hark! from The Waves Series, 1988
Reference:Axsom 193
Series:The Waves
Medium:Color screen print, lithograph and linocut with hand-coloring, marbling and collage on T.H. Saunders and Somerset papers
Image Size:72 1/2 in x 52 3/4 in (184.2 cm x 134 cm)
Sheet Size:72 1/2 in x 52 3/4 in (184.2 cm x 134 cm)
Framed Size:75 in x 54 1/4 in (190.5 cm x 137.8 cm)
Edition:Numbered from the edition of 60 in pencil in the lower right; published by Waddington Graphics, London.
Signature:This work is hand signed and dated by Frank Stella (Massachusetts, 1936 - ) 'F. Stella 88' in pencil in the lower right of the image.
Condition:This work is in excellent condition.
ID #W-7815

Historical Description

Frank Stella Hark! from The Waves Series, 1988 is from a series based on Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. A collection of sculpture, lithographs, and paintings, each piece is named after a chapter in the saga. In Hark, two sailors are working the night shift on the deck, and future events and stowaways are heavily foreshadowed.

Combining multi-media, Frank Stella creates a dynamic abstracted work. Tumultuous shapes tumble across the page and one wave of color overwhelms another. The mustard yellow swirls in with the white, and becomes tan and textured. The composition is framed by a red rectangle, which curls around the inner shapes, at times broken by other compositional elements. Inside the red outline, a grid of green triangles lays the backdrop, evoking the green and choppy water of the sea. Those familiar with Moby Dick can relate this work to the events in the book, but even those unfamiliar with Melville’s novel feel the emotions emanating from the abstract shapes and bold colors.

Created in 1988, this color screen print, lithograph and linocut with hand-coloring, marbling and collage on T.H. Saunders and Somerset papers is hand signed and dated by Frank Stella (Massachusetts, 1936 - ) 'F. Stella 88' in pencil in the lower right of the image. Numbered from the edition of 60 in pencil in the lower right, this work is published by Waddington Graphics, London.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Frank Stella Hark! from The Waves Series, 1988 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work).

1. Axsom, Richard H. Frank Stella Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné. New York: Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, 2016. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 193.

2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:

Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Frank Stella Hark! from The Waves Series, 1988 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.