# Larry Stuart Bell artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/larry-stuart-bell/
Profile generated: 2026-05-13T04:21:46.476Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1939-12-06
- Nationality: American
- Movements: Minimalism, Light and Space, Abstract Expressionism (early career), Geometric Abstraction
- Common media: Glass, Industrial materials, Mixed media assemblage

## About Larry Stuart Bell

Larry Stuart Bell (born 1939, Chicago) is an American sculptor and painter recognized as a pivotal figure in post-war Minimalism and the Light and Space movement. He studied at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles under Robert Irwin and Emerson Woelfer before emerging in the 1960s with his signature glass cube sculptures—transparent boxes that explore how light, surface, and perception interact. Over a career spanning more than six decades, Bell has expanded into standing glass-panel sculptures, vapor drawings, and large-scale environmental installations. His work is held by major institutions worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Tate in London. A Guggenheim Fellow (1970) and National Endowment for the Arts grant recipient (1975), Bell continues to work from studios in Taos, New Mexico, and Venice, California. He is represented by Hauser & Wirth and Anthony Meier Fine Arts.

## Common works and media

Collectors and appraisers most frequently encounter Bell's glass cube sculptures (particularly those from 1962–1968), freestanding and wall-mounted glass-panel constructions, vapor drawings on paper, mixed-media assemblages using industrial materials, and editioned prints. His sculptural works range from small tabletop cubes to large-scale installations, while works on paper tend to be smaller in dimension. Mediums include coated and laminated glass, metal hardware, Mylar, and various paper substrates treated with Bell's signature thin-film vapor deposition technique.

## Market and appraisal context

Larry Bell's auction market centers on his glass sculptures, with early cube works from the 1960s generating the strongest collector demand. Standing wall panels and illusionistic glass constructions from later decades also appear regularly at major auction houses. Works on paper, including vapor drawings and prints, form a distinct and more accessible market segment. Provenance linked to major institutional exhibitions or well-known collections can materially increase realized prices. Because Bell works in glass, condition is a critical appraisal factor: surface coatings, scratches, chips, or repairs should be documented carefully. Dating and edition status help distinguish vintage pieces from the artist's ongoing studio production.

## Appraisily data basis

This Appraisily artist page combines verified identity research from museum records, library authority files, and the artist's official studio with auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. Sources include the Museum of Modern Art, Tate, the Getty ULAN, VIAF, the RKD, and the artist's own studio archive.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q202621
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Bell_(artist)
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500005382
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/84632166/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50006517
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/444
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/larry-bell-727
- RKD: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/6173
- Larry Stuart Bell: http://www.larrybell.com/