Frank Stella: Illustrations after El Lissitzky’s Had Gadya from the Collection of BNY Mellon
On view through September 27, 2020
Tampa Museum of Art
Tampa, Florida
Frank Stella (American, b. 1936) created the series Illustrations after El Lissitzky’s Had Gadya (1984) after seeing artist El Lissitzky’s artwork at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Between 1917 and 1919, Lissitzky (Russian, 1890-1941) completed imagery for a children’s book of “Had Gadya”, an allegorical song sung at the close of the Passover Seder. Inspired by Lissitzky’s “Had Gadya”, Stella produced a suite of prints corresponding to the artist’s imagery. Rather than re-interpret the song, Stella responded to Lissitzky’s abstractions with his own signature vibrant palette and curvilinear gestures. The exhibition features Stella’s complete portfolio of twelve prints, each unique in technique and color.
Image: Had Gadya: Then Came an Ox and Drank the Water, 1982-84
Frank Stella (American, b. 1936), Mixed-media relief hand-painted in color. 54 x 52 1/4 inches. Collection of BNY Mellon. © 2020 Frank Stella / Artists rights Society (ARS), New York.
