Working Space

The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures

by Frank Stella

Offers a critique of abstract painting that starts in the Renaissance and ends with Abstract Expressionism.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published October 10, 1986

Reviews

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are Charles Eliot Norton lectures given by Frank Stella in 1983-84. There are always six lectures. This series is about pictorial space and it's evolution to abstraction. Beginning with Caravaggio where space in a painting is finally not defined by architecture and expands around, behind, and in front to include the viewer, to modern abstraction where the space is shallow, often defined by a single point of view.

Stella is sometimes hard to follow, at least for me Although he makes a lot of statements and does not always directly follow through, his discussions of paintings are often wonderful and enlightening. He has expanded my thinking about painterly space.

Reading a painters take on paintings is refreshing. I have read more by historians, critics, and curators. The book is titled working space and these essays are definitely written by an artist who has struggled first hand with the issue and thought a great deal about it, while looking at paintings. It's a good read and I recommend it to anyone interested in painting. I learned a lot and am curious about more.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was studying my MFA Frank Stella was a huge influence. I love this book and the whole sequence of ideas he shares about art making, PLUS the visuals of his sculptures. I still go to this book, 20+ years later, for inspiration and eye candy.

[Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for artists and anyone interested in art from Caravaggio to graffiti art.

[Frightful_elk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some insightful analysis of many painting conundrums, well worth reading, especially for abstract artists.

[Chris Lockhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frank Stella makes a lot of worthwhile and interesting statements, but reading this book was a chore.

[the Skrauss · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book made so little impression on my that I can only recall the images of Stella's protractor paintings, which I thought very little of.

[Richard Corral · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than gerhard richter's daily practice of painting