All I want anyone to get out of my paintings, and all I ever get out of them, is the fact that you can see the whole idea without any confusionโฆWhat you see is what you see.
Frank StellaYou have bits of canvas that are unpainted and you have these thick stretcher bars. So you see that a painting is an object; that it's not a window into something - you're not looking at a landscape, you're not looking at a portrait, but you're looking at a painting. It's basically: A painting is a painting is a painting. And it's what Frank Stella said famously: What you see is what you see.
Frank StellaMaking art is complicated because the categories are always changing. You just have to make your own art, and whatever categories it falls into will come later.
Frank StellaBut, after all, the aim of art is to create space - space that is not compromised by decoration or illustration, space within which the subjects of painting can live.
Frank StellaI never noticed competing with other generations. There's competition within your own generation, but that competition is good. Maybe you're annoyed that somebody's getting more money than you are, but what's really annoying is if someone's painting a better painting than you're making. So it's something to think about and work toward and stay focused on.
Frank Stella