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Monster's Ball

By Reyan Ali

In the deliriously vibrant domain crafted by the pens and paintbrushes of artist Andrew Bell, beasts are made to run wild. Imbuing his characters with a bright spontaneity, the creatures that inhabit the Brooklyn resident's work could be classified as cartoon-like yet become very difficult to describe beyond that (no two Bell beasts share much in common). Though he mostly works in black and white, Bell's work really goes places when he injects it with bright and striking colors. There is a sense of fresh and unfamiliar exploration in Bell's material. Keep in mind that while the characters are often charming, they aren't necessarily the kind and cuddly beasts that inhabited "Where the Wild Things Are" and are instead laced with sly subversion.

"It's What's Inside That Counts," Bell's latest exhibition, will be running at Rivet Gallery (1200 N. High St.) until May 31. Heavy on the acrylics and the inks, the work featured here includes about 20 pieces (drawings pulled from Bell's back catalogue, new paintings, and even a couple of sculptures) that were largely completed over a couple of months. UWeekly spoke with Bell to learn more about his burgeoning art.

UWeekly: What's the oldest piece of art you remember making?
Andrew Bell: The thing I actively remember making-other than just squiggles-was a replica Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle out of Play-Doh.

UW: Which Turtle was it? This is a crucial question.
AB: [Laughs] You know, I don't remember. It was the green one.

UW: What was the first thing you created that even vaguely resembles the style that you do now?
AB: I think it was when I was a kid and drawing on skateboard decks. I'd just buy some blank decks and pretend that I had my own company. I must have been nine. I would copy drawings that were halfway between "Thrasher Comics" and "Bloom County."

UW: How would you describe your style?
AB: I don't know, I try not to. [Laughs] You say anything and people come up with these preconceived notions of what you mean. It's so hard to describe something like that. There are these terms for the whole scene: pop surrealism, lowbrow art. I usually tell people that I'm an artist and that I do illustrations, which isn't that true. It's true enough. I never really describe my style. If somebody asked me that, I'd say something like "crazy cute," maybe. [Laughs]

UW: What draws you to creating in this way?
AB: It's really organic. I haven't stuck myself in any one particular rigid style that I feel like I need to stick to. I experiment a lot with line weight, color, dimension, and form. I'm not limited by a style guide or anything. My style flows and gives me some freedom.

UW: What elements serve as influences or inspirations for your work?
AB: I've been in New York for the last 13 years now. Just seeing New York plays a big role because I've constantly surrounded by street art, graffiti, characters, really interesting people of all sizes and shapes-all sorts of visual stimuli. There's art everywhere around here. On top of that, I still keep track of skateboard culture and video game culture and all the great graphics associated with that sort of stuff.

UW: Tell me about the characters. Are there any specific attributes that each creature has? Do they all exist in the same universe?
AB: They are not all in the same universe. Some of them may look similar but they have very different personalities underneath it all. As far as names go, I think up the captions after the fact. I sketch them out and get a raw idea down. Sometimes, I'm not even thinking. It just sort of happens. I'd say that's more common than when I'm trying to plan something out.

UW: What plays a role in determining what colors you use?
AB: I spent many years doing black and white then I started shading, and I've only been experimenting with color seriously in the last couple of years. It's a struggle for me because I love grayscale and black, white, and red but at the same time, I find that offsetting that with bright, crazy colors-neon greens, pinks, yellows-really makes the line work pop. It really draws your eyes to certain areas. It's a nice departure for me. People who are used to my stuff see that and pay attention again. [Laughs] It's just a chance to add more dimension to a piece, really; to add another layer that you can play with.

UW: Is there any certain element as an underlying crux to all of your work?
AB: I'd say there's a little bit of sinister to everything. No matter how cute [the art] might be, there's some cynicism, a little bit of evil lurking underneath everything. [Laughs] It can be as overt as big skulls or a little more subtle sideways smirk. It can go either way, really. I like to find the balance. That's the trick.

UW: How does the theme of the show coincide with the art found inside of it?
AB: The theme on the surface is insides coming out-be it eyeballs, hearts, livers, guts, or things like emotions. There is some stuff flying underneath there beyond the obvious.

UW: How would you like to see your work progress after this exhibition?
AB: I've been working on a lot of products: toys, T-shirts, and things. I've been putting prints out every month. I'd like to have people to be able to see my work every day in their house or out in the street. I want to do some big stuff. I got a taste of it when I was in Paris recently when I got to do some 30-foot walls. It was really fun.

Originally Published: May 13, 2009

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