The Art Of Up Cycling : Shane Bell and the story behind his up-cycled artworks

THE Art OF UPCYCLING

“Sustainable art” is not a new concept. The “Earth Art” movement of the late 1960s was the First to use the environment itself as a medium to express ideas and social commentary. Over the years, sustainable art has evolved and now covers a myriad of sub-genres, highlighting a diverse range of issues from ecology and sustainability, to social justice and non-violence. Using sustainable materials and/or practices, an increasing number of artists are exploring the connection between nature and technology while, at the same time, expressing their social and environmental ideologies.

One particular artist working in the sustainable art realm is Shane Bell. Bell is using up-cycled materials to create evocative depictions of advanced alien life, examining the dividing line between nature and technology.

A self-defined surrealist-impressionist, character artist; Bell’s work is vivid and immersive, drawing inspiration from both contemporary science Fiction and nature. Bell is heavily influenced by pop-culture, referencing shows like Rick & Morty, and is regularly commissioned to recreate iconic scenes from various Sci-Fi cult-classics.

While exploring a thrift store in his hometown, Bell discovered a pile of “factory style” reproductions of impressionist landscapes. As he tells it, “they were from the 70’s or 80’s when they were just mass producing paintings with no signature or anything.” These images inspired him to envision the epic sci-fi scenes that he creates. By up-cycling old materials, Bell retains a sense of the familiar, while at the same time creating futuristic, alien landscapes; thematically connecting the earth, nature, technology and the unknown. Using the past to create the future is recycling in its realest sense.

Another series of Bells depicts wild underwater scenes and uses a 3D technique to have creatures appear to emerge from the canvas. “There’s part of the world that’s awake and aware that they are conscious beings, but I feel like a lot of the world still sees them as a product,” Bell says. The illusion he creates, of the animal coming out of the artwork, becomes a representation of emerging consciousness. We, the viewer, are invited to identify with the emerging creatures, perhaps recognizing, in them, our own journey and humanity.

In Bell’s re-imagining of Michelangelo’s classic “The Creation of Adam,” he uses his signature sci-fi references to challenge the concept of existence. In this acrylic on canvas, he incorporates all the things that inspire him: alien life, spirituality, technology and the human experience, bringing them together in a fun and thought provoking piece.

"The Invaders"

To see more of Shane's work, go to @shanebellart