Alexandra Bell

Close up image of Alexandra smiling in front of a white wall, wearing a black sweatshirt Alexandra Bell is a multidisciplinary artist who investigates the complexities of narrative, information consumption, and perception. Utilizing various media, she deconstructs language and imagery to explore the tension between marginal experiences and dominant histories. Through investigative research, she considers the ways media frameworks construct memory and inform discursive practices around race, politics, and culture.

Alexandra Bell was born in 1983 in Chicago. She holds a BA in interdisciplinary studies in the humanities from the University of Chicago and an MS in journalism from Columbia University. 

Her work has been exhibited at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, New York; Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles; MoMA PS1, New York; We Buy Gold, New York; Koenig & Clinton Gallery, New York; The Nathan Cummings Foundation; Atlanta Contemporary; Pomona College Museum of Art; Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas; and Usdan Gallery at Bennington College. She received the 2018 International Center of Photography Infinity Award in the applied category and is a 2018 Soros Equality Fellow. She is a 2020 Pioneer Works resident. She lives and works in Brooklyn.

 

 

Work in the exhibition: 

A work that consists of edited versions of two poster-size prints of the New York Times articles that surfaced at the time of Michael Brown’s funeralAlexandra Bell, A Teenager with Promise (Annotated), 2017. Screenprint and archival pigment print on paper. Courtesy the artist.

Check Out: MCA Denver's Ellen Bruss Senior Curator, Miranda Lash, Deep Dive Into Alexandra Bell's Work

Three “The New York Times” front pages. The first has highlights and notes in red questioning the choice of words in the article. An image of a white police officer, Darren Wilson, in a blue uniform is on the left side of the page. It is circled “Why this photo?” On the right side of the page is an image of Michael Brown Jr., a black teenager, also circled “Why this photo?”. The second page is identical to the first, but most of the text is redacted to read “FERGUSON, Missouri. Officer Darren Wilson fatally shot an unarmed black teenager named Michael Brown, his shooting death by Darren Wilson, a white police Officer. The third front page is a rendering with the headline reading “A Teenager with Promise” and a photo of Michael Brown in a green graduation gown and cap, and red stole.

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