Gray Scramble (Single), VIII

1968 · Painting

May one see it?

Not receiving at present

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.

Checked: 2 days ago
In this state since: Aug 19, 2026
Source: The museum's own collection data

On the map Museum page

About the painting

Stella’s early paintings represent his reaction against the seemingly loose, gestural brushstroke associated with Abstract Expressionism. In Gray Scramble (Single), VIII, Stella combines bands of sequential values and of differing colors. In contrast to the depth created by the alternating light and dark bands of color, the uniformity of the paint surface emphasizes the two-dimensionality of the canvas. Using commercial paint and a house-painter’s brush, Stella carefully crafted his works to create an immediate visual impression of simplicity and monumentality. The strict geometry and crisp edges of the painted bands illustrate Stella’s desire for precision, whereas the resulting symmetry contributes to an “all-over” quality reminiscent of Jackson Pollock’s drip paintings.

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Particulars

Accession number: 2003.355

In the catalog

Paintings Acrylic American painting Post-war art 20th century America

Sources

The Cleveland Museum of Art: the museum's own open data · fetched 7 days ago
Image: The Cleveland Museum of Art — © Frank Stella / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Meanwhile, in the life of Frank Stella

The whole life

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.
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).
27 June 1968 – 6 October 1968
Exhibition: 4. documenta
1970
Retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art in New York presents a retrospective of Stella's work, making him the youngest artist to receive one.
1970
Boycott of the American Pavilion in Venice
Invited to the 35th Venice Biennale, Stella joins a boycott by artists opposed to the US wars in Vietnam and Cambodia and withdraws his works from display at the American Pavilion.
1970s
Introduces relief: “maximalist” painting
He brings relief into his work and calls such painting “maximalist” for its sculptural qualities; in the Eccentric Polygon series the shaped canvases take on still less regular forms and collage elements appear, such as pieces of canvas glued to plywood, and aluminum then becomes the main support of his paintings.