“MY DESIGN IS LIKE A BLUEPRINT TRANSFERRED ONTO THE BODYWORK.”
FRANK STELLA
Frank Stella
At the age of 14, Frank Stella, who was born in Malden, Massachusetts in 1936, began studying art at the Phillips Academy in Andover, USA. After studying history at Princeton University in the United States, he set up a studio in New York. This is when the Transitional Paintings and Black Paintings emerged. At the age of 23, he held his own exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In the 1960s, his ‘post-abstract pop art’ colour paintings conquered their place in art history. From 1960 to 1980, Stella exhibited his work all over the world. Later, he devoted himself mainly to relief paintings.
Oversized graph paper
When designing the BMW 3.0 CSL, Stella distanced himself from his haphazard style to seek inspiration in the technical fascination of the racing coupé. He created a black-and- white square grid, the precision of which is reminiscent of oversized graph paper. This graph pattern ran across the entire body, with every curve and indentation formally
recorded and precisely described. The design of the Art Car marked the turning point towards three-dimensionality.
Specifications BMW 3.0 CSL
● 4 valves per cylinder
● double overhead camshafts
● cylinder capacity 3210 cm3
● power: 750 hp
● top speed: 341 km/h
Le Mans 24-hour race
In 1976 Stella’s car took part in the 24-hour race at Le Mans ‘a particularly exceptional premiere for the work of such an avid motorsport enthusiast. Unfortunately, the car was not placed due to technical problems, just like in the 500 km race in Dijon on 5 September 1976.