Retired MU art professor and accomplished painter Frank Stack celebrated his 75th birthday Saturday at the Columbia Research Center for the opening of the ‘Frank Stack at 75’ exhibit.
The showcase features a collection of Stack’s paintings gathered from throughout his career. They range from vibrant oils to watercolors and etches, countryside landscapes to human figures, self-portraits to even cartoons — all of which he has promised to donate to the Missouri State Historical Society, said Joan Stack, Curator of Art Collections and Frank Stack’s daughter.
“Organizing a show for my father is easier because I have an in with the artist. … (But) it’s hard to work with a living artist because you have an ego to work with and it is difficult to be objective,” Joan Stack said.
After giving a brief but endearing introduction, Joan Stack invited the artist to share with the exhibit guests more about his life and his artwork.
Frank Stack brought attention to one of his earliest paintings: a colorful view from the house on top of a hill in Texas where he grew up. This painting, as well as “Culvert,” a black-and-white drawing, fed the audience a glimpse of his childhood and who he still is, in part, today.
Frank Stack transitioned quickly from topic to topic. First, he discussed technique. Art students are taught not to use the color black — he uses it unapologetically. This led him to discuss other color details like contrast, saturation and hue and how they affect the quality of a painting.
He also discussed the purpose of art in general. He compared paintings and drawings to music and literature.
“Reading is supposed to expand the mind and art should do the same,” Frank Stack said.
He said he wants viewers of art to allow the paintings to tell the viewers their message.
Frank Stack said reading all of Dickens’ and Shakespeare’s novels and plays allowed him to make a comparison between language and art.
“Most writers use very narrow vocabulary — most painters use a narrow array of colors,” Frank Stack said.
Frank Stack is an artist and a former professor, but his curious and experimental attitude coupled with the free time he has in retirement has even brought him another title: “Frank Stack, the movie star,” as Joan Stack called him. He is featured in a new independent horror film called “V/H/S.”
“He got so much more experimental (as he got older),” Joan Stack said. “You can tell that he is totally devoted. Since he retired, he’s worked more on his artwork.”
Freshman Daniel Williamson said he attended the exhibit for enjoyment.
“It was an amazing event, especially for being so low-key,” Williamson said. “Frank Stack was very kind and passionate about his work, which makes for a very involved and interesting display.”
