Frank Stella's Scarlatti Kirkpatrick Series, initiated in 2006, stands as a significant contribution to contemporary abstract art, reflecting Stella's long-standing fascination with the interplay between visual arts and music. The series is named after the Italian composer Domenico Scarlatti, known for his harpsichord sonatas, and Ralph Kirkpatrick, a Yale musicologist and harpsichordist who cataloged Scarlatti's work. This connection is reflected in the "K" numbers assigned to each of Stella's pieces, mirroring the cataloging of Scarlatti's sonatas by Kirkpatrick.
Stella's series is noted for its dynamic, polychrome, spiraling works that embody a visual rhythm and abstraction, resonating with the tempo and movement found in Scarlatti's music. The artist himself has commented on the visual rhythm and movement found within these works, suggesting a parallel to the musical experience. These pieces mark a bold evolution in Stella's career, diverging from his earlier works through their exploration of artistic reinvention and technical innovation (The Glass House) (The Phillips Collection).
The exhibition "Stella Sounds: The Scarlatti K Series" at The Phillips Collection in 2011 was a significant event, showcasing these works for the first time in a museum setting. This series, comprising eight sculptures, displayed swirling, multicolored forms with coiled steel tubing armatures that capture the essence of Scarlatti’s sonatas. These constructions range from a vibrant 15-foot structure to more intimate two-foot pieces, beginning as forms made by hand, refined through computer modeling, and finalized with painted resin forms on spiraling lines of coiled steel (The Phillips Collection).
Stella's work in the Scarlatti Kirkpatrick Series not only showcases his continued innovation within the realm of abstract art but also provides a unique bridge connecting music and visual art. Each piece in the series starts as a handmade form, refined and transformed through the use of digital technologies before being fully realized in their final, often large-scale, forms. This process underlines Stella's ongoing interest in the intersections between traditional artistic techniques and contemporary digital practices (Art in Context).
Stella, throughout his career, has consistently pushed the boundaries of abstract art, engaging with various forms and mediums to explore the spatial and visual potential of his work. The Scarlatti Kirkpatrick Series is a testament to his enduring influence and creativity in the contemporary art world, merging the worlds of visual art and music through an innovative lens (Art in Context) (The Phillips Collection).