1960s
Travels in the Middle East
He visits circular-plan cities in the Middle East and is especially intrigued by the arches and decorative patterns he sees in the architecture and art of Iran; these cities will later give their names to works of the Protractor series.
1961
Married: Barbara Rose
1961
Follows Barbara Rose to Pamplona
Barbara Rose, later a well-known art critic, goes to Spain on a Fulbright fellowship; Stella follows her, and they marry in London that November. On their return to New York the couple move into an apartment near Union Square.
1964
Radio discussion with Judd and Flavin
In a radio discussion of contemporary art with fellow artists Donald Judd and Dan Flavin, Stella sums up his approach: only what can be seen is there — “What you see is what you see.” The tautology later became known as the unofficial motto of minimalism.
mid-1960s
Begins working with master printer Kenneth Tyler
In the mid-1960s he begins his long involvement with printmaking, first working with the master printer Kenneth Tyler at Gemini G.E.L.
1965–1966
Guggenheim: “The Shaped Canvas” and “Systemic Painting”
His work is included in two exhibitions at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: The Shaped Canvas (1965) and Systemic Painting (1966).