Bell lives in Carbondale, near Aspen, an idyllic mountain town, yet his work has a gritty urban edge to it perhaps reflecting his childhood in Dallas. Bell nods toward graffiti tagging here and there in the paintings, with outlined forms evocative of writing surrounded by more classic, abstract organic shapes. Then there’s his use of found imagery, comic book or magazine fragments that he’s inserted and partly painted over. Some of these images remain recognizable: Women, hands and skeletons are among the most prominent features of many of his paintings.
Bell is expressionistic. He splashes, drips, smears and pours his paints, covering his canvases with automatic markings, including arcs and dashes. In limited areas, on some of the panels, he employs mediums infused with metallics: shiny silver or glittery gold. Did I mention polka dots?

Installation view of From the Ground Up: New Work by Stanley Bell.
Photo credit: Courtesy Michael Warren Contemporary
On Saturday, January 7, at 11 a.m., Bell will talk about the intentions behind his paintings. The Bell exhibit runs through January 21 at Michael Warren Contemporary, located at 760 Santa Fe Drive. Call 303-635-6255 for hours.