Cirrus@Austlit

Richard Bell, contemporary artist and activist was born and grew up in Charleville, Queensland. In his 30s he moved to Brisbane, where he 'started to think of art as a potential career'.

Bell described himself as 'an activist masquerading as an artist', being politically influenced by the black power movement and people such as the late Isabel Coe, and Gary Foley. It was during the time of the lead-up to the 1988 Bi-centenary of white Australian settlement, that Bell challenged 'non-Indigenous artists who appropriated Indigenous imagery in their work and the perceived notions of traditional and modern Indigenous art.' Bell's own work addressed contemporary issues such as religion, art and politics.

Source: Koori Mail, issue 551:21