b. 1935 Oklahoma, USA – d. 1995 New York, USA
1957 BBA University of Oklahoma, Norman

Together with Ralph Goings, Audrey Flack and Richard Estes, Charles Bell was one of the key figures of the first generation of Photorealism in the 1970s. Reproducing images with meticulous details and vibrant colour schemes, the Photorealist artist explored the potential of mundane imagery as a legitimate genre of fine art.

However, unlike other Photorealists whose works represent various aspects of contemporary pop culture including stereotypical images of people and cityscape, Bell depicted only game objects such as vintage toys, gumball machines and marbles: they were meticulously arranged for optimum light effects before the artist photographed them. Bell once said “My paintings look real, but it’s a subjective reality.” Enlarged in scale, depicted in intensely vivid colours, Bell’s artworks are a nostalgic glossy reminder of past decades.

Bell’s works are in the public collections of prestigious art institutions including Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Japan.