MEL 98 1985

Larry Bell made this ethereal, untitled sculpture using coated glass, sometime around the turn of the millennium. What strikes me is how, like a painter mixing colors on a palette, Bell coaxes forth a spectrum of pastel shades. It's process made visible. I love the way the light seems to cling to the surface. Notice how the coating creates an almost topographical landscape of hues, like a heat map. The edges dissolve into soft gradients of tangerine, lavender, and mint, drawing you into this translucent void. The more you look, the more you realize there isn’t a solid surface, just shifting veils of color and light, like Agnes Martin's grids, but in three dimensions. Bell's work really emphasizes artmaking as a journey, embracing ambiguity and multiple interpretations, allowing the viewer to project their own experiences and feelings onto the work.