Jessica Bell - Growth

Jessica Bell is a contemporary sculptor and socially engaged artist. Focused on using traditional techniques mixed with contemporary designs, Bell’s work addresses race, identity, and social issues. Bell uses smaller units to construct larger works and installations.

Bell's work employs playful iconography and everyday – typically innocuous – items to lure the viewer into a closer examination and then deeper understanding of the messages embedded in her art. Bell’s work is visually arresting, playful, and sumptuous in its use of materiality.

Series 3

Resin casted G Wagons

This collection of small scale sculptures consist of hand casted G wagons. It’s named Series 3, referring to the three different variations of casts used which include white casted resin spray painted, color casted resin, and clear casted resin with shredded money from the federal reserve. The box was designed by Jessica and on the back has comments she heard or were said to her while she owned and drove a G Wagon. 

Painting Collection

Mar

Ocean

Survival Kit

Heart

This collection of work contains some of the earlier paintings produced by Jessica Bell. Primarily focusing on abstraction, Bell created paintings that played with texture and finish. Using a variety of materials, Bell created implied and actual texture on the various canvases. 

Ripe Love

Ripe Love is a painting of a literal ripe banana representing the idea of women becoming ripened in age as their biological clock ticks. The painting is full of layers and texture showing the obstacles we overcome throughout our journey of life. 

Bench Collection

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Focusing on rest, this collection of benches has a bench top that is literally resting on top of the spheres. The benches are playful in design with the sphere bubbles welded in an asymmetrical arrangement. Functional yet impractical to harsh movements while sitting, making the user intentionally rest and be still. 

Peek Through Collection

Peek Through

Peek Through II

 This is a collection of paintings that allows the older work to peek through the layer of black. As an artist, you continually grow and change your aesthetic. This series combines the old and the new to create a composition that is reflective of the growth as an artist. 

Growth & Rest 

 Growth & Rest is from a new sculptural series that Jessica Bell is working on. Growth is the top heavy curved form and Rest is the bottom heavy curved form. The two forms playfully engage with each other and can be arranged to form a unified larger form or arranged facing away from one another to create tension. The two sculptures have a physical relationship with one another in the space and a perceived relationship based on how they are displayed. The use of color plays to the titles of the sculpture and the relationship between the two. Rest being a navy blue, visually heavy, while Growth is a lighter blue to visually lift and make the sculpture appear lighter.

 Thoughtfully designed, Rest is made with interior supports to allow a user to sit on the lower section and the upper section of the sculpture. Having the height of the “bench” area 15 inches tall and 15 inches wide, makes it smaller than the standard bench size but inviting / accessible for children. Growth is 15 inches wide allowing it to be used as a table in a home or displayed outside. The bottom of both sculptures have been prepped for exterior mounts to be attached for public installation. The mounts were designed to be removable so the sculptures can be enjoyed indoors or outdoors.