With a churning, multilayered composition inspired by nautical and oceanic forms, Jonah Historically Regarded captures some of the chaos of Moby Dick, the 19^th century maritime epic that inspired the series’ title. Frank Stella may have sympathized with the protagonist of the novel, a sea captain obsessed with capturing his ‘white whale’; working alongside his long-time collaborator Kenneth Tyler, master printer of Tyler Graphics, it would take the team nearly six years to perfect the Moby Dick series. Stella’s ambitious goals would encourage Tyler Graphics to innovate on printmaking techniques, from photoetching concave copper plates to experimenting with new ink consistencies for the project, which would eventually produce some of Stella’s most notable prints and, in Tyler’s words, help the artist “discover new surface qualities in his printing.”

Each Jonah Historically Regarded print is slightly different, as Stella encouraged printers to experiment with inking, registration, and the pressure of the press, often taking part in the process himself. To add another layer of complexity to a project already marked by its difficulty, Stella often went back and adjusted prints while they were mid-proofing. “I like to think that Frank and I never doubted each other’s role as creator and collaborator, but there were moments during this period that neither of us were that confident,” said Tyler in an article for the National Gallery of Australia.ⁱ “There were also moments when some of the etchers were thinking about career changes.” Despite the considerable challenges of the project, the final project proved to be worth the effort for both Stella and Tyler: “…Frank and I agreed that the stunning results that were achieved discounted any temptation to cut corners and simplify the process.”

ⁱ Kenneth Tyler, "Techniques in Focus: Frank Stella's Moby Dick Domes," National Gallery of Australia, 2016, online.