| Richard Bell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1953 Charleville, Queensland |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Field | painting |
| Works | Scientia E Metaphysica (Bell's Theorem) |
| Influenced by | roy litchenstien |
| Awards | National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award |
Richard Bell (b. 1953 in Charleville, Queensland into the Kamilaroi tribe.) is an Australian artist and political activist.
Bell came to the attention of the wider community after his painting Scientia E Metaphysica (Bell's Theorem) won the 2003 Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award. With the text "Aboriginal Art — It's A White Thing" prominently featured across the 240×240 cm work, it was a winner that divided the room on both political and aesthetic grounds. It was taken literally in some quarters and seen as an attack on other artists. Others saw it as an honest statement of things as they are in the eyes of this artist, and possibly something no one else has had the guts to state quite so publicly before. Many others employed uncomfortable laughter to hide behind.
In 2006, the Queensland art critic Rex Butler profiled his work for Australian Art Collector magazine.[1]
Richard currently lives in Brisbane, Queensland.
Richard Bell caused controversy in April 2011 after revealing that he selected the winner of the prestigious Sulman Art Prize through the toss of a coin.
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