What You See Is What You See

Frank Stella and the Anderson Collection at SFMOMA

What You See Is What You See

Frank Stella
Polk City, 1963
Zinc chromate on canvas
Collection SFMOMA, gift of Harry W. and Mary Margaret Anderson and Museum purchase
© Frank Stella/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

June 11 - September 06, 2004

In 1964 Frank Stella said of his paintings, "What you see is what you see," coining a phrase that exemplified the minimalist movement. The eight works in this presentation span Stella's career, from his minimalist Black Paintings of the 1960s to his explosive, colorful reliefs of the 1980s to his most recent work. Shown together for the first time are a group of phenomenal gifts to the Museum — seven paintings from Mr. and Mrs. Harry W. Anderson and one from the artist himself. Together, they illustrate the groundbreaking and dramatic output of this iconic artist.