Exploring Frank Stella’s Geometric Chevron Designs

In 1964, Stella began his first work using chevron designs – his ‘Notched V’ paintings. These works are characterised by their angular, V-shaped canvases, revealing his growing fascination with geometric shapes, using them to underscore the ‘object-like’ nature of painting.

Frank Stella, Quathlamba I, from V Series, 1968

Frank Stella, Quathlamba II, from V Series, 1968

Stella further elaborated on the design in his ‘V Series’ (from 1967), of which both ‘Quathlamba I’ and ‘Quathlamba II’ are available to buy from our flagship gallery on New Bond Street. Consisting of eight lithographs, the ‘V Series’ contains compositions made up of two-, three-, and four-part clusters of chevrons that are centered and accommodated on varying sizes of horizontal sheets. The horizontal composition of the chevrons gives the ‘V Series’ a sense of dynamism and movement.

©David Talbot / Naval Encyclopaedia

While Stella often stressed that the titles for his artworks had little relation to the works themselves, prints from the ‘V Series’ all take their names from late nineteenth-century clipper ships built in Great Britain. British and American clippers were quick transport vessels, named for their ability to ‘clip’ along at record speeds due to a sleek hull that sliced through the water. The chevron designs found in prints like ‘Quathlamba I’ and ‘Quathlamba II’ allude to the shape of the three-masted clipper ship after which they were titled. The artist’s reference to these fast-moving vessels stands as a prime example of his desire to reduce forms to simple geometric arrangements and explore how regulated patterns can transform individual elements into a single object.

Frank Stella, Ifafa I, from V Series, 1968 [SOLD]

Be the first to discover the latest in the art world! Stay in the loop with exclusive updates on new blog entries, upcoming exhibitions, art fairs, and behind-the-scenes insights from our gallery.

Subscribe to our newsletter! 

SUBSCRIBE