Stella studied at the Philips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, as well as at Princeton University. He first gained recognition when his works were exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art in 1960.

He began a trend, painting on shaped canvases using a pattern of regularly spaced, light lines. Precise geometric forms were achieved with the use of masking tape. His aim was to force illusionistic space out of the painting using a regulated pattern. He abolished the three-dimensionality of imagery by eliminating the relationship between figure and ground. Thus the entire painting itself became a clearly defined object. This style became known as "non-relational painting."

Around 1967, Stella began to use curved bands on rectangular formats; his colors became more brilliant and the canvases much larger.

Stella has been an influential artistic figure, not only in painting, but also in sculpture, being a major force in the development of minimalist sculpture.