Steller's Albatross

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.

mid-1970s

Abandons rational structures

In the mid-1970s Stella abandons rational structures and explores new, individualistic paths: solid planes give way to squiggles, lattices and swirls of color, composite elements project from his canvases in all directions, and his wall-mounted paintings evolve into outlandish sculptures. Through the 1970s and 1980s his minimalism becomes baroque.

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.