Robin Bell (born 1979)
is an American
multimedia
Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms such as text, audio, images, animations, or video into a single interactive presentation, in contrast to tradit ...
visual artist currently residing and working out of
Washington, DC
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
.
Artwork
Although trained as a
printmaker,
Bell has become better known for his fine arts video work as a
projectionist
A projectionist is a person who operates a movie projector, particularly as an employee of a movie theater. Projectionists are also known as "operators".
Historical background
N.B. The dates given in the subject headings are approximate.
Early ...
, which over the years has been exhibited/projected at a wide and diverse set of venues, such as The
Hollywood Bowl,
Artomatic
Artomatic is a multi-week, multimedia arts event held in the Washington, D.C. area. It was founded by Washington, D.C artist and arts activist George Koch. The non-juried, open event has provided a forum for artists of all types (visual, performan ...
, the
Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
, the
Phillips Collection
The Phillips Collection is an art museum founded by Duncan Phillips and Marjorie Acker Phillips in 1921 as the Phillips Memorial Gallery located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Phillips was the grandson of James H. Laughlin ...
and others.
Bell began gaining national
and international attention upon
President Trump's election, when he focused his projection work to deliver highly negative political messages in various "unauthorized" venues such as the
Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Referencing that particular projection in 2017, ''
The Los Angeles Times
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' noted that it "began to go viral on social media almost as it was happening."
According to ''The Washington City Paper'', these political projections "unlocked" the path to his first solo show at former
Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery of Art was an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University.
Overview
The Corcoran School of the Arts & Design ...
in Washington, DC, and as noted by the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
: "His work has turned into an unexpected business opportunity. Activist groups have paid his crew to travel as far away as
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
to project images on prominent buildings."
In 2019, ''The New York Times'' art critic Jillian Steinhauer noted that Bell's projections veer "closer to
propaganda than art."
References
External links
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Robin
Artists from Washington, D.C.
American digital artists
American video artists
American multimedia artists
20th-century American artists
21st-century American artists
American political activists
Political artists
Projectionists
1979 births
Living people