Mirage Study #14 1988

Larry Bell, an artist associated with the Light and Space movement, made "Mirage Study #14" to explore perceptions of space and form through surface and light. Bell emerged from the art scene of Southern California, where artists in the 1960s reacted against the conventions of the art world. Away from New York, they had the space to develop an aesthetic that combined the industrial materials and visual language of modernism with local influences like the car industry. Bell’s experimental approach to materials aimed at dissolving the object into pure perception, and he made many studies in various media that test the relation between depth, surface and form. He explored innovative approaches to art making through glass, vacuum coating, and the representation of luminosity. The historical context of the Californian art scene in the 1960s is important for understanding how Bell was able to innovate. Through institutional studies, archives, and other source materials, we can gain a better understanding of the social context that shaped his approach to the art.