Paragon 1988

Charles Bell created this pinball machine, Paragon, with enamel on wood. You know, looking at it is almost like looking at a painting. The way Bell lays down these colors and shapes—it’s all so immediate. The color palette is bold and unapologetically bright, like he's grabbing your attention and not letting go. Check out how Bell uses the enamel. It's thick in some spots, thin in others, almost like he's letting the material guide him. See that warrior on the bottom left? The way he's painted, it's like he's both there and not there, solid yet dissolving. It's all about process, about letting the hand do its thing. Bell's work reminds me a bit of Jim Nutt, with that same sense of playful distortion. But ultimately, Bell is doing his own thing, creating this wild, energetic world where nothing is quite as it seems.