| One of the most provocative and uncompromisingly brilliant of today's crop of contemporary indigenous artists, the raucous, rebellious and rampaging Richard
Bell has pulled his best stunt yet by winning the prestigious 20th Telstra National Aboriginal Arts Award in August 2003. His winning entry was titled Scienta E Metaphysica (Bell's Theorum)
, or "Aboriginal Art Its a White Thing". He caused a minor sensation when presented with the award at a ceremony in Darwin when he wore one of the more provocative of
his range of personally designed T-Shirts which caused an instant knee-jerk reaction from the ever so politically correct ones at the gathering. As a result he was pilloried in the NT government chamber by
no less than Chief Minister Clare Martin, which delighted Richard because of the invaluable national publicity it generated for him, his work and his win!
One of the great aspects of Bell's art is the debate that it provokes. For a sample of some of that debate and discussion click any of the following:-
"I am not Sorry": Richard Bell Out of Context - Rex Butler & Morgan Thomas
To see a gallery of other samples of Richard Bell's work click here - The Art of Richard Bell
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