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Frank Stella on the Roof
I was standing with a friend in front of Frank Stella’s latest masterpiece entitled “Chinese Pavilion”--a part his latest roof exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City--when he turned to me and said, “Looks like he forgot to construct it.” My companion's comment followed me through the show, leaving me to connect this thought with the artist’s true sculptural intentions. “He forgot to construct it” is an interesting way to describe Stella’s latest work. The pieces on the MET’s roof are large scale metal concoctions molded together in interesting shapes. When you enter the roof, the first things you see are two models on a table, lent to the MET by Stella. One of them is a small copy of the “Chinese Pavilion” and the other model is entitled “Chapel of the Holy Ghost.” I found these to be the most moving pieces in the show.
“Chapel of the Holy Ghost,” constructed in 1992 out of stainless steel, juts upward, almost as if it is trying to reach the heavens. Layer upon layer of steel appears to almost have been peeled off of something larger—like potato skins. I noticed that some of the steel was extremely rusty, altering the stainless steel from a glossy silver into a tarnished brown hue. Taking Stella’s title literally, I looked for an entrance to this chapel. A slight opening on the bottom left of the sculpture did not seem intended for use. Had this been a real church, a visitor would have to jump over the platform to enter the chapel.
Why did Stella name this work “Chapel of the Holy Ghost?” The Apostles and Jesus’s followers received the Holy Ghost after Jesus ascended into heaven. The day that the Holy Ghost appeared to early Christians is known as Pentecost. According to the New Testament’s Acts of the Apostles, the Apostles of Jesus were all seated alone in a room together when “there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing…they saw what looked like tongues of fire…they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak” (Acts 2:2-4). The Holy Spirit, or Ghost, granted the Apostles the tools and courage to travel and preach, to spread the word of their new religion. It makes sense that Stella would choose to have his chapel reaching skyward, connecting his Holy Ghost to heaven. Why, then, would Stella choose the look of corroded steel? Is Stella making a point about the origin of the Holy Ghost? Is he saying that the spirit itself is the peelings of the other parts of the trinity—God and Jesus—and therefore any chapel dedicated to it should pay homage to this fact? And what can we say about Stella’s decision to make the sculpture out of stainless steel? He knew it would eventually rust—had it not been slightly rusted already when he first constructed it. “Chapel of the Holy Ghost” seems to imply that religious ideals will, like the stainless steel, rust. Whether or not Stella’s religious questioning is intentional, it is clear to me after seeing this show why there is so much controversy over Stella’s work. The large scale version of “Chinese Pavilion”, positioned a few yards away on the other side of the roof, was constructed out of bronze in 1993. The “Chinese Pavilion” stands at about 14 feet tall and 33 feet wide. To fully grasp the sculpture’s grandeur, it is important to know the definition of the word pavilion –a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure, usually intended for relaxation purposes. Stella’s sculpture certainly brings pleasure in the form of its construction. Molded together in strands opening off to different shapes, the “Chinese Pavilion” is mostly filled with triangular forms and open spaces. Because the sculpture is larger in width than it is in height, it is incredibly impressive when taken in from aback. However, looking closely, I realized the sculpture was actually two big circular constructions, molded together at the middle and bottom.
For me, this joining of two round shapes was the most interesting part of the sculpture. Why did Stella choose to leave the top of the sculpture out of this fusion? It was almost like a flaw in his sculpture—having the top open like that, without being molded together, the connection between the two halves seemed weaker. Then it occurred to me, a pavilion isn’t about strength, it is about pleasure and relaxation. The sculpture exemplifies pleasure on a larger scale. Leaving it open at the top with large openings surrounding the entire sculpture is a brilliant way to allow the natural beauty and air in the surrounding environments to flow in and around the work. Stella’s genius was highlighted when I took a step back and watched the sunlight cascade through the different nooks of the sculpture. While Frank Stella has both critics and admirers, everyone should agree that his sculptures are both impressive and imaginative. While some may see “unfinished” piles of metals molded together, Stella sees a chapel paying tribute to one of the highest powers. Where detractors see big, clunky, shapeless jumbles, Stella sees a place to admire nature and feel at peace. This show emphasizes Stella’s remarkable eye, and his invitation to viewers to follow him in the imaginative leap.
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