The work: Travis Bell, Leans, 2021. Clay, 40 x 10cm. Courtesy: the artist.
Exploring the materiality of clay, balance and fragility, Travis Bell interrogates the purpose of an artist and their craft. “The disciplined execution of craft is what I strive for, and yet this centerpoint of my practice completely contrasts every other part of a life that is chaotic, carefree and very much not disciplined.” The unexpectedness of Bell’s forms, tilted on their sides in a careful balancing act, does not render them functionless but rather asks us to question their function at a deeper level. Bell recently graduated with a Bachelor of Contemporary Art with Honours from the University of Tasmania, Launceston.