john bell

Nationally emerging artist John Bell explores multiple movements of contemporary art all at once, creating a hallmark painting style that comments broadly on sociopolitical issues, the impact of social media, and the ever-fluctuating values of contemporary culture. Bell, lauded as an “indiscriminate genre-blender” fuses abstract expressionism, geometric abstraction, pop art and many other artistic styles. He employs recurring images of iconic popular culture, snippets of news feeds, and social media references set against a brightly hued color palette, hard-edge, tense geometric lines and ethereal back drops. His work has been placed in many private collections throughout the U.S. and has exhibited in countless group and solo exhibitions, including Art Basel, Miami, New York’s Time Warner Center, Southern Nevada Museum of Art, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City.

Bell’s work and mid-century modern home has been highlighted in the Los Angeles-based, lifestyle, and culture-centric 944 Magazine. Other press accolades include a profile in the national art magazine Blue Canvas (Los Angeles), a cover editorial in Seven Magazine, (Las Vegas), entitled Beyond Pop; The man and message behind the paint. His work and home have also been featured in a cover article in Utah Style and Design, and hailed as an “artist on the rise” by Salt Lake Magazine. He has received numerous acknowledgments and reviews in NY Art World, Blackbook, City Weekly, Salt Lake City, Seven and Deseret Companion magazines as well as a host of online publications. He is represented by Mondo Fine Art, Salt Lake City, Brett Wesley Contemporary, Las Vegas, Cancio Contemporary, Miami/New York.

Exhibition History

Museums, Fairs, Competitions & Commissions:

• June 2011 - Salt Lake Art Center's 337 Project Lawn Gnomes Eat Your Hearts Out, public art project.
• December 2010 – Aqua Art Fair, Art Basel, Cancio Contemporary, Miami, FL.
• June 2010 - Contemporary Masters, sculpture commission artist-designed miniature golf, 337 Project & Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City, UT.
• December 09 - Aqua Art Fair, Art Basel, Cancio Contemporary, Miami, FL.
• June 09 - The Urban Face Off, 337 Project, mural commission/competition, Salt Lake City.
• May 09 - Spring Art Affair, regional juried exhibition, Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art, Las Vegas, NV (curated by Elizabeth Herridge, Director, Guggenheim Hermitage Museum)
• December 08 - The Artist Fair, Art Basel, Miami, FL
• April 06 - Mural Commission, Time Warner Center, New York City, NY.

Collections Public:

June 2010 – Salt Lake County Government Center, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Collections Private:

Work throughout the United States.

Solo Exhibitions:

• October 2010 – Would you like to become a fan?,Mondo Fine Art, Salt Lake City, UT
• June 2010 – The Burden of Ambition, Brett Wesley Contemporary, Las Vegas, NV
• July 09 – The Elegant Universe, Brett Wesley Contemporary, Las Vegas, NV
• January 09 – Size Matters, Pop Shops, Salt Lake City, UT
• June 08 – Survey, DDR Projects, Long Beach, CA
• January 08 – The Sound & The Fury, Utah Arts Alliance, Salt Lake City, UT
• March 07 – BUILDING ICONS, Patrick Moore Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT
• September 05 – (re) Defining Space, Time Warner Center, New York City, NY 
• April 05 – Defining Space, ONE Modern Art, Salt Lake City, UT
• February 05 – 24 Hours, Artisan Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT
• July 04 – Untitled, Evening Editions Press, Salt Lake City, UT
• May 04 – Drinking, Dancing & Smoking with the Muse, Chroma Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT

Group Exhibitions:

• April 2011 – Mondo Fine Art, Salt Lake City, UT
• August 2010 -  Arin Contemporary, Laguna Beach, CA
• April 2010 – Modern Values, Mondo Fine Art, at Lightspot Modern, Salt Lake City, UT
• December 09 - Not Just Another Pretty Face, salon & holiday show, Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City, UT.
• December 09 - Small Works, juried show, Jill Dawsey, chief curator of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Kayo Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT.
• November 09 – Snap To Grid, Los Angeles Center For Digital Art, Los Angeles, CA
• June 09 – Not Just Another Pretty Face, gala & exhibition, Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City, UT.

• April 09 – The Truth of Abstraction, Patrick Moore Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT.
• February 09 – Digital Art, Phillips Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT.
• January 09 – Love and Power, Brett Wesley Contemporary, Las Vegas, NV
• December 08 – Holiday Group Show, Phillips Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT.
• December 08 – The Artist Fair, booth exhibition; Art Basel, Miami, FL.
• October 08 – 5x5, Salt Lake Magazine’s, 5 On the Rise, Phillips Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT.
• May 08 – Untitled, Utah Arts Council, Rio Grande Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT
• February 08 – 3^rd Annual SLCC President’s Art Show; Library Square Center, Salt Lake City, UT
• December 07 – Holiday Group Show; Phillips Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT
• July 07 – 1+1 = 14, Artisan Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT
• August 05 – Utah Art’s Council, Rio Grand Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT

Bibliography:

2011:

• Photos, editorial, John Bell’s modern masterpiece; revolv magazine, Salt Lake, pgs.6 -11 January.

2010:

• Artist profile, photos, editorial, Blue Canvas Magazine, Los Angeles, pgs. October 19^th
• Sheckells, Melinda, photos, editorial, The House in the Canyon: Artist John Bell creates a canvas for his life and home, 944 Magazine, Los Angeles, pgs.16 & 17,October 2010  
• Keene, Jarret, cover article, photos, interview, Beyond Pop, The man and the message behind the paint, A&E, Seven Weekly Magazine, Las Vegas, pgs.77-78, July 22^nd
• Staker, Brian, photo, editorial, Miniature Arting, Contemporary Maters Makes Modern art playful, City Weekly, Visual Arts, pg.18, July 22^nd.
• Fulton Ben, photo, editorial, Golfing Beyond the Game, Contemporary Masters, Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake Tribune, Utah, pg. B1 July 13^th & Lifestyle, Salt Lake Trib online, July 12^th. 
• Kiraly, Andrew, photo, exhibition mention, The Burden of Ambition, Brett Wesley Gallery, Desert Companion, A & E. pg. 62.
• Kenway, Jenessa, photo, editorial, John Bell, The Burden of Ambition, Las Vegas City Life online, July 5^th.
• Alvarez, Brian Paco, exhibition mention, July First Friday is Sizzling Hot, The Burden of Ambition, Brett Wesley Contemporary, Las Vegas Arts & Culture online, July 2^nd.
• Vice, Jeff, photo, editorial, Salt Lake Art Center doubles as miniature golf course, Deseret News online, June 24^th.
• Fulton, Ben, photo, editorial, Swing Into Art, Contemporary Masters, Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake Tribune, Visual Art Notes, pg. D8, June 20. Lifestyle, Salt Lake Trib online, June 21^st.
• Staker, Brian, video interview, Putt putt for par, Contemporary Masters at the Salt Lake Art Center, The Stake Out, City Weekly online, June 19^th.
• Renshaw, Scott, photo, editorial, Contemporary Masters at the Salt Lake Art Center, The Essentials, City Weekly pg. 24, June. 17^th.
• Stringer, Jacob, photo, editorial, Contemporary Masters at the Salt Lake Art Center, City Weekly.net., June 17^th.
• Nevada Public Radio, KNPR’s State of Nevada, interview, First Friday Artist John Bell, The Burden of Ambition, airdate June 4^th.  
• KLAV Radio, The Talk of Las Vegas, interview, The Burden of Ambition, Brett Wesley Contemporary; Grogan’s Tavern, a Cultural Watering Hole, airdate June 3^rd.
• Christensen, Miaken, Mondo Fine Art, video profile, John Bell, mondofineart.com, YouTube, April 9^th.  
• Spy Hop’s Alumni Media Studio, video feature, John Bell, Face Off at the Urban Gallery, vimeo.com, February 23^rd.  

2009:

• Photo, editorial, Art Basel, Aqua Art Miami & Gen Art Vanguard, Bell’s “Bail Out” The Lead, Miami, December 2^nd, pg.20.
• Staker, Brian, photos, editorial, 337 Project Face Off at the Urban Gallery, City Weekly, June 11^th. 

• Nailen, Dan, video blog, 337 Project, Urban Face Off at Neighborhood House, June 12^th, Salt Lake Magazine online
• Trotter, Emma, photo, feature article, Brett Wesley Gallery Home is Where the Art Is, Las Vegas Luxury, April.
• Staker, Brian, exhibition photo, feature article, Visual Arts, The Bell Curve: Artist John Bell continues thinking “like a builder”, City Weekly, January 22^nd, pg. 23
• Exhibition photo, “John Bell at The Grand Opening of The Pop Shops”, 337 Project.org, online, January 16^th
• Hampton, William, editorial exhibition photos, Bell’s Size Matters “Impulsive art”: In Utah This Week, print and online, January 15^th pgs.  22-23
• Nailen, Dan, video blog; interview with artist “Size Matters” at The Pop Shops, Salt Lake Magazine online, January 12^th
• Fulton, Ben, Photo, exhibition mention, “Thinking Big in SLC,” Salt Lake Tribune, Visual Art Notes, January 11^th pg. d2
• Widlansky, Tiffini, Gallery Spotlight, Pop Shops “Change is Good”, Bell’s “Size Matters”, Artists of Utah, 15 bytes online, January 8^th 
• Staff Pick of the Day, photo & acknowledgement; Bell’s “Size Matters”,  Pop Shops, Salt Lake Magazine online, January 6^th

2008:

• Checkoway, Julie, photo, “John Bell at Phillips Gallery 5x5 show”, Salt Lake Tribune, Visual Art Notes, Oct 12^th, pg. D8
• Hogan, Donia, Photo, “Phillips Gallery Presents Salt Lake City’s 5 artist’s on the rise,” Deseret News, Visual Arts, October 12^th pg. E2
• Fields, Melissa, photo, editorial, “5 Artists on the rise”, Salt Lake Magazine, Sept/Oct. pg.6
• Photo’s, editorial, “John Bell: Artcotic and DDR Projects”, Juxtapoz art & culture online, June.
• Cleveland, Craig, photos & interview, “John Bell the Artist”, Artcotic.com artist showcase, June.  
• John Bell’s “Survey” at DDR Project,  ArtSlant online,
•  Photo, “Survey” The work of John Bell at DDR Projects, White Hot magazine online June.
• Kolb, Leif, cover, photos, feature article & interview “Self Portrait”, Arkade Magazine, May, pgs. 44-51.
• Exhibition photos, John Bell’s “The Sound & The Fury” at Utah Art Alliance & Midnight Records, In Utah This Week, January 4^th, pg.7 & 8.
• Lolita, Nikolova, PhD, interview photos & exhibition feature, “John Bell with his crowd”, Salt Lake Downtown, January 4^th
• On camera interview & exhibition feature, “The Sound & The Fury, at Utah Arts Alliance, Fox 13 News, Good Day Utah, airdate January 2^nd 

2007

• Rigby, Kent, Photos, exhibition review, “Building Icons”, John Bell @ Patrick Moore Gallery, Artist of Utah, 15 bytes online, March.
• Spencer, Amy, Photos, cover & feature article, “Walk & Stroll, John Bell’s “Building Icons, In Utah This Week, pg. 31 
• Griggs, Brandon, photo & mention, Bell’s “Icons” at Patrick Moore, The Salt Lake Tribune, March 18^th, pg.D6
• Pappas, Kate, Photo, “Building Icons:” new work by John Bell, 24Seven, City Weekly, March 15^th pg.27
• Rasmussen, Pax, photo, “Building Icons” at Patrick Moore, Catalyst Magazine, March 12^th, pg.3