Triple Swirl Fade to Black 1994

Charles Bell made this painting of marbles, Triple Swirl Fade to Black, with oil paint, and the way he coaxes the paint to behave is mind-blowing. I mean, look at those glassy surfaces. There’s something about the way Bell renders these spheres that gets under my skin. It’s not just photorealism; it’s like he’s trying to trap light itself. The colors vibrate, but softly, you know? Like a memory. He must have been obsessed with the specific qualities of transparency and reflection. It's like looking at magnified worlds. The swirls in the central marble? Total painting fireworks! It reminds me a bit of Vija Celmins and her marbles, but Bell’s got this almost unsettling clarity, like an old dream. This guy took the everyday and turned it into a space of endless curiosity. It's the kind of work that reminds you that seeing is never just seeing.