Cube #1 2008

Larry Bell's "Cube #1" presents us with a deceptively simple form made from coated glass. The apparent plainness of the cube is misleading. Look closely and you'll notice the subtle interplay of light and shadow on its surface. The glass has been meticulously coated, a process that gives it a translucent quality, and allows it to reflect and refract light in fascinating ways. This coating is critical. The way the work is made influences its appearance: the inherent qualities of substance, texture, weight, color, and form. Bell's engagement with industrial materials places his work at the intersection of fine art, design, and craft. The labor involved in producing such seemingly simple forms reveals an engagement with wider issues of production, consumption, and the politics of making. It challenges us to reconsider the boundaries between high art and craft.