Fraction #1757 1996

Larry Bell made this small mixed media painting, Fraction #1757, sometime in the nineties, and there’s something so compelling about the way he coaxes such a vibrant atmosphere from such a restricted palette. It's like watching a magician pull a rabbit out of a hat, but the rabbit is a whole mood. You can tell Bell is really thinking through process here. The textures are so palpable, a kind of relief almost, and the way the colors are built up, layer upon layer, makes it feel like he's excavating the image, rather than just applying paint. Look at the way he lets the colors bleed and blend in the center, creating this really satisfying tension between control and chaos. It reminds me a little of Terry Winters, who has a similar way of setting up this kind of visual puzzle. Ultimately, a piece like this really highlights how painting is so much more than just the image. It's a record of all the decisions, accidents, and happy coincidences that happen along the way.