Richard Bell is, in his own words, ‘living proof that you don’t have to kiss ass to get along’. He hasn’t sold out making pretty pictures or taken any easy options. So when Bell wanted to exhibit four large paintings in the front gallery space at Brisbane’s Milani Gallery ‘just to see what it would feel like’, he did just that!
The four large paintings – One Day You’ll All Be Gone (Bell’s Theorem) 2011 and Old Aboriginal Sayings (Bell's Theorem) 2011 (Fig. 2), Not just greed and fear 2011 (Fig. 1), and Bell’s favourite and the last one he produced, Prelude to a Trial (Bell’s Theorem) 2011 (Fig. 1), were part of Bell’s You’d Believe Me If I Was A White Man exhibition which ran at Milani Gallery from 22 July to 6 August 2011. The works feature Bell’s trademark contrasting stripes with three and four-colour combinations, overlaid with block text, and are full of black and white signifiers.
The upstairs gallery features a number of text-based works, including Palm 2011 (Fig. 3), which is reminiscent of the scrambled letters you’re asked to type in on a computer to prove you’re you. The exception is A white hero for black Australia 2011 (Fig. 4), which almost looks out of place surrounded by text-based works.
Bell has developed techniques to achieve paintings quicker, following an organic process. He has a penchant for starting top left, with left and right sides of the paintings being different, and the action happening in the middle. Producing the surface becomes mechanical allowing Bell to turn off and think about other things. He has also embraced art direction, much like the master/apprentice studios of past centuries and made popular more recently by Jeff Koons.
Bell suggests the works are conversations designed to bypass the consciousness in a similar way to advertising, an interest which was developed though his admiration for Roy Lichtenstein. In an interview with Mclean (2010, p. 41) Bell described how he began the ‘Pollock-inspired ‘Theorem’ paintings and Lichtenstein ‘dot paintings’ and interiors because white people where appropriating Aboriginal art, so originally it was for revenge’. Now he’s lightening the load with colour and with humour...he wants to communicate with people.
Bell is circumspect about the common misconception that it is easy for Aboriginal artists to be successful: ‘If it’s so easy for black fellas to make it in art, why aren’t there thousands?!’ He addressed the Aboriginal art industry issues in the 5,000 word ‘Bell’s Theorem’ paper, based on 30 years of discussions with friends on the subject. Interestingly, Bell doesn’t describe himself as an ‘Aboriginal artist’, but rather as a contemporary artist, listing one of his fondest discoveries as ‘Art wasn’t bullshit’!
On the subject of being the ‘angry ant’, Bell demands we produce one ant that is angry, suggesting this label is simply a means of dismissing his art… ‘people don’t educate themselves...they live in ignorance and don’t look for enlightenment’, Bell states. Kate Ravenswood (Queensland Art Gallery) described his 2010 work as the ‘equivalent of the bumper sticker. The language is ironic, sharp and direct: their messages are designed to produce and immediate response. The language is urgent, impatient and very, very angry (Ravenswood 2010, p. 19). Bell previously told critic Bruce Mclean that the ‘position I come from is not angry – it may at worst be matter of fact’ (Mclean 2010, p. 41).
Bell is clearly an educated and talented contemporary artist who is passionate about his work and You’d Believe Me If I Was A White Man is a perfect example of Bell’s ability to continue to raise issues to the public consciousness through art. By his own admission he is still learning, but more importantly, he is excited! His advice to a room of emerging artists on how to make it in art was simple...’you have to be ambitious and have big ideas. You can’t be a shrinking violet...you have to talk the talk’. That and kickin’ ass is something Bell is very good at!
Karen Waddell
http://www.milanigallery.com.au/exhibit/youd-believe-me-if-i-was-white-man
Mclean, B (2010), ‘Richard Bell: Matter of Fact’, Artlink, vol 30 no 1 pp. 40–43.
Ravenswood, K (2006), ‘Richard Bell’, Queensland Live, Queensland Art Gallery Publishing, pp. 16–19.
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Figure 1 Installation view of Prelude to a Trial (Bell’s Theorem) 2011and Not just greed and fear 2011 |
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Figure 2 Installation view of One Day You’ll All Be Gone (Bell’s Theorem) 2011, Old Aboriginal Sayings (Bell's Theorem) 2011 |
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Figure 3 A white hero for black Australia 2011 |
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Figure 4 Palm 2011 |
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