Throughout his extraordinary career,  (1936-2024) influenced several changes in post-war American art; notably the rejection of abstract expressionism and the introduction of hard-edge abstraction and Minimalism.

Stella was also one of the first artists who elevated the picture-as-object, dismissing the expressiveness of paint in the creation of abstract art. Influencing numerous artists, Stella approached image-making with no allusion to the material world or an emotional state. Furthermore, little was left to chance or unconsciousness, Stella's paintings were planned and carefully executed. 

The artist began printmaking in 1967 and it immediately became an essential part of his practice. This print is a sequel or variation of the artist's 1971 screenprint "," both of which recall the artist's "Newfoundland Series" paintings of 1969-1970. The title of this work, another curious geographical reference, is the name of an abandoned settlement established in a remote part of Manitoba by the Hudson's Bay Company. 

Each of these pieces feature Stella's distinct and dynamic curvilinear forms that stretch, overlap, and weave across the composition. These semicircular and interlacing forms are a recurring motif throughout the artist's oeuvre and trace back to Stella's "Protractor Series" from the decade prior. Stella continued to utilize protractors and mathematical tools throughout his career, .

Unlike its predecessor, "York Factory II" is rendered in a bold palette of maroon, terracotta, chartreuse, steel, navy, and olive against a midnight black sheet. It serves as a striking example of Stella's signature geometric abstraction and innate expertise as a colorist.

In 2009, President Obama awarded Stella the National Medal of Arts. His work can be found in every major collection across the USA and international institutions including The Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Venice), the Tate Modern (London), and Kunstmuseum Basel (Switzerland), to name a few.

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"York Factory II"

USA, 1974

Screenprint on Arches Cover Black paper

Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil, lower margin

With the blind stamp of the publisher Gemini G.E.L.

From an edition of 100

18.25"H 44"W (work) 

18.75"H 44.5"W (framed)

Detailed condition report by request. Overall very good condition. 

Minor wear to the vintage frame.

Published by Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles 

Literature: Frank Stella Prints, Richard Axsom and Leah Kolb (2016) pl. 94 pg. 160.