Artist Statement
John Bell is a consummate thinker and provocateur whose practice across multiple mediums—including painting, drawing, installation, sculpture and performance—utilizes abjection, humor, endurance, language and absurdity to confront and undermine rigid systems of belief.
His work examines social, political and cultural perceptions. It involves the appropriation and deconstruction of images and information popular culture produces, re-interpreting it in various mediums to create opportunities for critical examination of cultural values. Highlighting the ironies of a shrinking public domain in a culture where nearly every moment is openly and publicly shared… from the relevant to the inane. His work is an attempt to locate the authentic by simultaneously celebrating and critiquing a culture obsessed with status, self-styled celebrity and consumerism.
“I refer to my work as post-modern mash-up, combining elements from a multiple disciplines while commenting on the ironic complexities of contemporary culture & challenging its veracity”.
Biography
John Bell studied art with private teachers from an early age. He attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, graduating in 1987. He has exhibited in over 70 group and solo exhibitions. Press accolades include a profile in the national art magazine Blue Canvas (Los Angeles), a cover editorial in Seven Magazine, (Las Vegas) “Beyond Pop, The man and message behind the paint”. His work and mid-century modern home has been highlighted in the Los Angeles-based lifestyle and culture-centric 944 Magazine, Western Art & Architecture, and Utah Style & Design. Bell has received numerous acknowledgments and reviews in NY Art World, City Weekly, Salt Lake City Weekly, Seven, and Juxtapoz magazines and a host of online publications.