Richard Bell’s inclusion of canonical painting tropes and a Pop aesthetic jerks our attention to the different incarnations of institutionalised white control, and more pointedly the cruel treatment and disempowerment of Indigenous Australian peoples and unceded Sovereignty. With their large-scale and vibrant colour, these are works that cannot be ignored. The attention grabbing compositions are not just that, but double as a call to value fairness.
Richard Bell, Poor/Lean, 2017. Courtesy the artist, Milani Gallery, Queensland and Gertrude Contemporary, Melbourne
Gertrude Contemporary
2 February to 10 March, 2018
Melbourne
