Photograph by Jeanne Garbarino

It’s midday and you’re hungry. So, you decide to head to the Weiss cafeteria for a bite to eat. But, before you enter the canteen, take a moment and look on the wall to your left. You will see mounted on the wall a massive and colorful aluminum sculpture made by none other than Frank Stella. Born on May 12, 1936 in Malden, Massachusetts, this Pollock-inspired artist eventually made his way to NYC in 1958. Here, Stella found his own style, rejecting the abstract expressionist movement, and produced a number of pieces reflecting his ever-evolving but always novel approach.

The Tail was constructed in 1988 and represents Stella’s transformation toward creating more three-dimensional art. Interestingly, this piece is part of a series dedicated to Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, in which each artwork is named after a chapter—in this case, chapter 86.

This installation made its way to RU in 2001 through the philanthropic efforts of David Rockefeller. Like many, I often breeze right past this work, barely noticing its presence. But, from now on, I will set my gaze upon its beauty, even if only for a few seconds. I encourage you to do the same—there aren’t many places you can see this caliber of art on a regular basis, and for free! After all, the primary job for many of us is to observe, so why not do it when we aren’t at the bench? You never know, you could just look up and find a famous piece of art…