Polar Co-ordinates V

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.

1970s

Moves to NoHo in Manhattan

In the 1970s he moves to the NoHo neighborhood of Manhattan.

1978

Marries the pediatrician Harriet McGurk

Marries the pediatrician Harriet McGurk; they have two sons, Patrick and Peter. A daughter, Laura, was born to Stella between his two marriages, from a relationship with Shirley De Lemos Wyse.

1978–2005

A studio in the former auction house in the East Village

From 1978 to 2005 he owns the Van Tassell and Kearney Horse Auction Mart building in Manhattan's East Village and uses it as his studio; nearly thirty years of care lead to the restoration of the facade, and after a six-year campaign by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation the building is designated a New York City Landmark in 2012.

1980s

Takes up squash

Takes up squash after injuring his back opening a garage door; later has a court built at his horse farm in upstate New York and forms close friendships with many players. In 1986 he says squash lets him forget about painting.

1982

Exhibition at the Addison Gallery, Phillips Academy

Large-scale works by Stella are shown at the Addison Gallery at Phillips Academy; the critic Kenneth Baker, reviewing the exhibition, finds the physical impact of the recent works unsettling and their designs not interesting enough to contemplate.