Comparative Study
Sarah Kopacz
Jill by Frank Stella (1959)
Frank Stella, Jill, 1959, enamel on
canvas, 229.6 x 200 cm
1957-D No. 1 by Clyfford Still (1957) PH-79-003 by Clyfford Still (1935)
Clyfford Still, PH-79-003, 1935, oil on canvas
Clyfford Still, 1957-D No. 1, 1957, oil on canvas, 113
x 159 in
This comparative study is focusing on the ways that these three artworks can be
connected and what kinds of messages they all are attempting to send to the viewer. I
first viewed Jill by Stella and 1957-D No. 1 by Still at the Milwaukee Art Museums
Modern Rebels exhibit. I then was mesmerized by another of Stills earlier works in
later research, which was PH-79-003. These pieces and their meanings inspired me to
create a piece based on what I experienced when I saw them in exhibition as well as
what I felt when doing research on Still.
Jill / Frank Stella
Transcript:

I think this work means that the artist might have to

work a few things out with Jill. This piece is very
methodical, and its very repetitious. Maybe the
artist has recurring feelings or thoughts about Jill,
but cant express them. So they all lead back to the
center where he keeps his thoughts to himself
effective to a select audience. Brings up feelings of
curiosity.

From IWB, reflection after going through the

Modern Rebels exhibit. There are many
different elements to this piece that are really
interesting, such as the use of negative space,
the repetition, the seemingly infinite pattern, and
the lack of color.
Jill / Frank Stella: Analysis of Work
Its easy to cast this piece aside as just a geometric pattern and
nothing more than that. Its also been a topic of discussion in my
class as to why it was included in the Modern Rebels exhibit. One of
the key reasons it was included and was taken seriously despite not
having any clear subject is because of the time period it was in. At
the time Jill was created, the norm of artists all around the world was
pop art. Color, form and shape were all very important to these
artists. Stella, on the other hand, completely disregarded all of these
things and focused on line and space instead.

Jill was ahead of the minimalist movement which came in the mid
60s, which is why - at the time it was created - it was a rebellious
piece of art. People didnt understand it then, and some of the same
sentiments traversed time to the present. Another way this piece
rebels is that it proves that art sometimes doesnt need to have a
meaning behind it for everyone to know about. The only clue we get
to meaning for this piece (besides drawing our own conclusions
about it) is the title.
A. The way that the pattern reverberates outwards actually
draws the viewer into the middle of the piece. Its very
visually appealing because your eyes feel like they can
flow all over the canvas yet still find their way back to
the center, like a map.

B. His use of black paint and exposed white canvas is also

very unusual and distinct for that time period. People
always wanted to fill the entire canvas and he utilized
the whiteness to his advantage.

C. Instead of having a specific subject for the art (as was

the norm for centuries before him, regardless of art
movement), he has just simple patterns. The way he
sets this up, and the way your eyes frantically search for
hidden meanings, forces the viewer to accept that this is
just a decoration. It isnt the window or mirror into the
world of that time as all art was.
Jill / Frank Stella: Implications
The way that Stella attempts to force
the viewer to the realization that the
painting was just that, a painting,
implies that he wants people to have
a realistic view of their lives and while
they may be looking for a reprieve,
reprieves are temporary and that their
world will always be waiting for them
when they exit the exhibit.

The black paint could represent the

cover that people put over
themselves whenever they try to
escape their worlds. While it works
for the most part, real life pokes
through (the exposed canvas), and
you will eventually have to face the
stark reality and total opposite of
what you desire to see.
The total lack of directive in the artwork implies that Stella wants the
viewer to draw their own conclusions about what theyre seeing. Without
giving hints beyond the title, the painting is something totally up to the
reader to interpret. There are some clues in his other pieces of art,
especially in the same Black Painting series, that point to the non-
directional point of view he was coming from. He is either driving the
audience to draw their own conclusions and not be told what to think, or
he is sending out the message that art doesnt need to have a deep
message to be art.
1957-D No. 1 / Clyfford Still
Transcript:

I think this work has something to do with

infinity. The black seems to expand into the
canvas for forever, and the yellow looks like the
light trying to break through. It seems endless
It reminds me of caves.

From IWB after experiencing the Modern

Rebels exhibit. Clyfford Stills painting was the
first in the exhibit to catch my attention, and
subsequently was the first I researched on my
own time.
1957-D No. 1 / Clyfford Still: Analysis of Work
Clyfford Stills most famous piece is subject to
interpretation by the people that experience it. Made
during a time where things either had a meaning or were
considered odd, Still challenged that notion by creating
something personal to himself. On record saying that he
wouldnt endorse any kinds of interpretations because his
work was inspired by personal experiences, any kind of
interpretation that a viewer gets from this is valid to the
viewers themselves.

Much like Stella, Still made this piece when abstract

expressionism was still a new concept and people
werent entirely sure about it. Challenging the norms
while being silent about meaning makes Stills piece
a sharp commentary on people drawing their own
conclusions.
1957-D No. 1 / Clyfford Still: Implications
A. The stark contrast between the yellow
foreground and the black background carry a lot
of weight. Still wouldnt just add a color in such a
way that it would just look aesthetically pleasing -
his style was that of expressing himself and not
to please others. The happy tones of yellow are
engulfed by the abyss of black - a possible
implication being that happiness is always
surrounded by dark times.

B. The small flecks of red also carry a lot of weight.

An artist such as Still wouldnt accidentally add
such an outstanding color, especially in a piece
with little color variation in it as it is. It makes one
wonder what the red implies or means to Still; his
dark undertones along with the stark yellow and
bit of red carry meanings specific to Still.
PH-79-003 / Clyfford Still This was the piece that I found via my personal
research of Still. This is one of his older pieces -
there are small bits of surrealism located in the
piece, but there are clear subjects and clear
meanings can be derived from the painting.

This painting depicts two people

resting. Their ribs, collarbones, arms
and legs are thin, skinny, and
lackluster. This implies these people
are suffering in poverty. The focus in
the painting lies in the woman and the
blank space to her left. The utilization
of space, color and form all contribute
to the paintings allure, and they make
the viewer want to know more or
attempt to deduce what the meaning
is themselves.
PH-79-003 / Clyfford Still: Analysis of Work
This piece is very obviously about poverty. The large
hands and feet, the upside down horseshoe, and the
placement of the figures all have subtle meanings.

A. The hands might have some meaning in what a

person does as work. What you do with your
hands, how you take responsibility for what you
make, what you do with your mind is how one of
Stills daughters described it. He could be saying that
these people had a hand in where they are, or that
despite what they do they always end up drawing the
short stick.

B. An upside down horseshoe is a symbol of bad luck.

Its no mistake that this is front and center of this
piece; no matter what these people do for
themselves they always end up where they are
depicted.
C: The placement of the people in the painting are
reminiscent of the way Mary held Jesus after he
was crucified (reference Piet by Michelangelo).
This is a sharp commentary and easy to connect
visual towards Jesus, hinting that maybe the way
we treat the poor reflects poorly on us.
PH-79-003 / Clyfford Still: Implications

The implications of this piece are a lot easier to grasp than the other
abstract ones. It is very critical of the way people who suffer from poverty
are treated by society. The people seem lonely, shunned, and as if they
only have each other to rely on.

There are also religious vs. superstitious undertones present in the piece.
The very similar placement of the figures to the way Mary holds onto Jesus
in Piet by Michelangelo is countered by the superstitious presence of the
unlucky horseshoe. This could mean that no matter which side of the
religious spectrum you come from, poverty is a prevalent issue that affects
everyone and they feel isolated. No matter what you think your people in
your religion do for the poor, its very obviously not enough.

Michelangelo, Piet, 14981499, marble, 5 9

x 6 5
Common Threads Found in Works - Thinking Critically
The audience drawing their own conclusions about
the three pieces presented here was a very important
message the artists were trying to send out. This
could possibly be why they were considered modern
rebels; they encouraged people to use their own
minds and not listen to what others had to tell them
about their own art. They deliberately made their art
so open ended without explanation that people were
forced to think about them and not have the
definitions and stories fed to them.
Progression from least to most able to analyze.
These pieces of art were presented in order from
most complex to describe and analyze to something
with a somewhat easy meaning to grasp with many
hidden meanings. They also are presented in order
from most to least recent; this could be indicative of a
time change in the art world. As people progress in
time, cultures become more independent. Art reflects
this in a way that compliments this mentality; people
are able to draw their own conclusions to the art
presented and are considered right if they can back
themselves up enough.
Common Threads - Visual Ties
Blank space utilization was also very
important in all of these art pieces.
In Jill, the blank space was literally
blank, showing exposed canvas. In
1957-D No. 1, the blank space was
seen in the overwhelming black in
the background. In PH-79-003, the
blank space was interrupted by the
most noticeable and easily
recognizable symbol in the painting.
Each blank space tells a story or
points you in the direction to the
story, so it was something that all the
artists utilized efficiently.
Reaction Piece: Kintsugi Jill
I was heavily influenced by the visual imagery of both Frank
Stellas Black Paintings series as well as the vibrant gold
from 1957-D No. 1. However, the meaning that I picked up
on from PH-79-003 really spoke out to me. So, I
incorporated all of these facets into one three dimensional
piece. The clay walls were constructed and each have a
Sarah
different painting from Stellas series on the outside.
Kopacz,
Originally the piece would have been just that, but it
Kintsugi Jill,
exploded in the kiln. Unable to let the opportunity slip away, I
2015, Clay,
found the connections to something deeper than the original
Glue, Acrylic
idea almost instantly. I utilized the gold I appreciated from
6 in. x 6 in. x
1957-D No. 1 and painted each crack, much like the original
5.5 in.
painting looks. The meaning behind doing this is on the
same level of depth as PH-79-003 is: the Japanese method
kintsugi is the process of repairing broken plates, dishes, or
ceramics with rare mineral infused lacquer. It is supposed to
add to the history and value of the piece, and ultimately the
beauty as well since no crack is the same.
Detail Shots and Meaning

Here are some closeups of the cracks and the acrylic paint added to the
exposed pottery. Each crack was carefully filled in with gold paint so as to
stick with the meaning I applied to the pottery. I also followed Stellas
designs rather closely to solidify the connections between this piece and
the artists that I chose.
Sources
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Post. N.p., 01 May 2016

Boucher, Brian, and Stephanie Cash. "Art In America." Clyfford Still, Unpacked - Magazine - Art in America. N.p., n.d. Web.

"1957-D No. 1, 1957 - Clyfford Still." Www.wikiart.org. N.p., 01 Jan. 1970. Web.

Ray Mark Rinaldi | Media@rayrinaldi.com | The Denver Post. "New Collection Works Are on Display at Denvers Clyfford Still Museum." The Denver
Post. N.p., 01 May 2016.

Labedzki, Aneette. "His Most Famous Painting (1957-D No 1) - Clyfford Still." Ezine Articles. N.p., 29 June 2009.

Madoff, Steven Henry. "Unfurling the Hidden Work of a Lifetime." The New York Times. The New York Times, 17 Mar. 2007. Web.

Stella, Frank. "Jill, 1959 - Frank Stella." Www.wikiart.org. N.p., 01 Jan. 1970. Web.

Gershman, Rachel. "Frank Stella Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works." The Art Story. The Art Story Contributors, 2017. Web.

Spivey, Virginia P. "Khan Academy." Khan Academy. Khan Academy, n.d. Web.