On Larry Bell

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the art world underwent a double schism. On one hand, artists began to embrace commercial imagery and iconography in Pop Art, and on the other hand art was reduced to the simple and primary shapes in Minimalism. In New York, Minimalism began reducing art into basic forms and shapes. Artists such as Donald Judd and Carl Andre were concerned with creating art from primary shapes to convey architecture, like Judd, or poetry, like Andre. Around the same time, artists on the west coast, Southern California in particular, began to experiment by constructing space  in the use of light aptly named "Light and Space." Larry Bell was one of those artist who embraced minimalist visual principles while using glass, light, perception and form. Larry Bell "Complete Cubes," currently on view at Hauser and Wirth, Los Angeles, examines an aspect of his work that combines the physicality of minimalism in the use of the physical cube, while adhering to the application of West Coast Light and Space principles that places his work in the context of other artists like James Turrell, Robert Irwin, and Douglas Wheeler.

While looking at the cubes, one must ask, "What makes Larry Bell a Light and Space artists?" The cubes, strewn around the gallery, come in different sizes. With few exceptions, most of the works are titled "Untitled." Large and small cubes mingle with each other. Do not let the simplicity of the cubes fool you. Each are physical and solid. However, the cubes are constructed in a way that reveal their secrets. Viewing Bell's cubes is not for the passive. Each of the cube's faces are constructed of glass. The glass is treated in various ways, including darkened, stained, cut and shaped into forms within and outside the of the cubes' faces. To understand is to walk around and circumvent each object to experience the effect. Motion creates emotion as the viewer moves and positions the views of the faces on each cube. The glass creates a translucent architecture; an environment within each cube. The degree and extent of translucency uses light and shadow to create multiple effects. The play on geometry is about addition and subtraction, accession and removal, formation and de-formation, and ultimately creation and destruction of the structures within and outside each. Each cube uses the surrounding light and dark as means of studying these various states of formation and its opposition.

Larry Bell's cubes provide a bridge between the Light and Space artists of the West Coast, and the Minimalists of New York City. However, recent development of his cube works suggest a departure from the physical by emphasizing the translucent and ephemeral. The most recent, titled "RWB in Venice Fog" is an installation of three room sized cubes, each comprising of a central color structure surrounded by a translucent container. The colors in each sculpture are blurred; clouded within a container to create an ethereal effect. Bell seems to convey the natural effect of fog upon the basic colors of red, white, and blue. The three cubes dematerialize the solidity and structure of earlier works. It is in the most recent works that Bell harmonizes with his fellow Light and Space artists. The survey of Bell's cubes at Hauser and Wirth, Los Angeles examines the development that demonstrates the emergence an art that is physical in its presence, but disposes of passivity and utilizes light, shadow, form and translucence.



Larry Bell "Complete Cubes"
Hauser Wirth
901 East 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA

On view through September 23, 2018.

Open Tuesday – Sunday
11 am – 6 pm; Closed Mondays

Larry Bell

Cube 59

2007

Glass coated with inconel and silicon monoxide and clear glass

38.1 x 38.1 x 38.1 cm / 15 x 15 x 15 in

101.6 x 38.1 x 38.1 cm / 40 x 15 x 15 in (pedestal)

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Joshua Targownik

Larry Bell

Cube 29

2008

Glass coated with inconel and silicon monoxide

30.5 x 30.5 x 30.5 cm / 12 x 12 x 12 in

101.7 x 30.5 x 30.5 cm / 34 3/4 x 12 x 12 in (pedestal)

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Matthew Kroening

Installation view, ‘Larry Bell. Complete Cubes’, Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles, 2018

© Larry Bell

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Mario de Lopez

Larry Bell

Eclipse

1965

Vacuum coated and etched glass, chrome plated brass

31.1 x 31.1 x 31.1 cm / 12 1/4 x 12 1/4 x 12 1/4 in

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Larry Bell

Untitled

1964

Vacuum coated glass and chrome plated metal

20.3 x 20.3 x 20.3 cm / 8 x 8 x 8 in

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Fredrik Nilsen

Larry Bell

Untitled

1985

Vacuum coated glass with chrome plated metal framing

26 x 26 x 26 cm / 10 1/4 x 10 1/4 x 10 1/4 in

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Genevieve Hanson

Installation view, ‘Larry Bell. Complete Cubes’, Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles, 2018

© Larry Bell

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Mario de Lopez

Installation view, ‘Larry Bell. Complete Cubes’, Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles, 2018

© Larry Bell

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Mario de Lopez

Installation view, ‘Larry Bell. Complete Cubes’, Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles, 2018

© Larry Bell

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Mario de Lopez

Installation view, ‘Larry Bell. Complete Cubes’, Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles, 2018

© Larry Bell

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Mario de Lopez

Larry Bell

Untitled

1964

Vacuum coated glass and chrome plated metal

20.3 x 20.3 x 20.3 cm / 8 x 8 x 8 in

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Fredrik Nilsen

Larry Bell

Bette and the Giant Jewfish

1963

Vacuum coated glass and chrome plated metal

42 x 42 x 42 cm / 16 1/2 x 16 1/2 x 16 1/2 in

Courtesy Private Collection, Massachusetts

Photo: Fredrik Nilsen

Larry Bell

Bette and the Giant Jewfish

1963

Vacuum coated glass and chrome plated metal

42 x 42 x 42 cm / 16 1/2 x 16 1/2 x 16 1/2 in

Courtesy Private Collection, Massachusetts

Photo: Fredrik Nilsen

Larry Bell

Untitled

1965

Vacuum coated glass

45.7 x 45.7 x 45.7 cm / 18 x 18 x 18 in

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Larry Bell

Untitled

1965

Vacuum coated glass

45.7 x 45.7 x 45.7 cm / 18 x 18 x 18 in

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Larry Bell

Eclipse

1965

Vacuum coated and etched glass, chrome plated brass

31.1 x 31.1 x 31.1 cm / 12 1/4 x 12 1/4 x 12 1/4 in

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Larry Bell

Eclipse

1965

Vacuum coated and etched glass, chrome plated brass

31.1 x 31.1 x 31.1 cm / 12 1/4 x 12 1/4 x 12 1/4 in

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Larry Bell

Untitled

1985

Vacuum coated glass with chrome plated metal framing

26 x 26 x 26 cm / 10 1/4 x 10 1/4 x 10 1/4 in

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Genevieve Hanson

Larry Bell

Untitled

1985

Vacuum coated glass with chrome plated metal framing

26 x 26 x 26 cm / 10 1/4 x 10 1/4 x 10 1/4 in

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Genevieve Hanson

Larry Bell

Untitled

1985

Vacuum coated glass with chrome plated metal framing

26 x 26 x 26 cm / 10 1/4 x 10 1/4 x 10 1/4 in

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Genevieve Hanson

Installation view, ‘Larry Bell. Complete Cubes’, Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles, 2018

© Larry Bell

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Mario de Lopez

Installation view, ‘Larry Bell. Complete Cubes’, Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles, 2018

© Larry Bell

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Mario de Lopez

Installation view, ‘Larry Bell. Complete Cubes’, Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles, 2018

© Larry Bell

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Mario de Lopez

Installation view, ‘Larry Bell. Complete Cubes’, Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles, 2018

© Larry Bell

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Mario de Lopez