Finis Coronat Opus 1995

Charles Bell painted this pinball machine, titled Finis Coronat Opus, with what I imagine to be an airbrush, focusing on the machine’s intricate details to create a photorealistic effect. The composition is all about the interplay between light and color, depth and flatness. Look at the way Bell renders the reflective surfaces of the pinball. He captures not just its roundness but also the way it mirrors and distorts its surroundings. The surrounding colours are vibrant, each element meticulously rendered. The whole image feels meticulously planned yet it has a kind of playfulness. Notice the details of the lettering, the way the light catches the edges. Bell’s work reminds me a bit of Wayne Thiebaud, though with a more pop-art sensibility. Both artists celebrate everyday objects, elevating them to the status of high art. There's a tension here, too, between representation and abstraction, realism and fantasy. It’s this space, where certainty dissolves, that makes art so compelling.