Kent Bellows
Encyclopedia
Artist Kent Bellows is best known for his figurative
works in the realist
style. His artwork is sometimes referred to as “meticulous realism,” a subcategory referring to the artist’s startling attention to detail.
“I see in my mind this mysterious, ethereal museum filled with paintings I haven’t done. That’s what makes the whole trip worthwhile.” -- Kent Bellows, 1971
. As a young boy, Bellows attended Saturday matinees at the town theater and became enamored with cinema, an interest that continued throughout his life and was influential to his artwork. He was known in the small community as “that kid who can draw.”
. While attending high school, he earned money selling artwork and playing keyboards with rock-and-roll bands.
Following high school, Bellows studied art history at the local university for two years, while also experimenting with various artistic styles and mediums. During this time, he continued to play keyboards with bands, including a Midwest tour with performers Sonny and Cher.
s, in the tradition of the masters, for financial support, including Omaha
native, Warren Buffett
. Mr. Buffett referred Bellows to his wife, Susie, a lover of the arts. Mrs. Buffett agreed to provide support for one year in exchange for artwork. Out of this relationship developed a lifelong, mutual friendship. In 1970, Bellows resided briefly in Connecticut
, and then Berkeley, California
, but soon settled back in Omaha, where he remained for the duration of his life.
Bellows’ early works were included in Joslyn Art Museum
’s 1970 Midwest Biennial Show as well as other Omaha exhibitions. His early works included abstract
s and figurative pieces, some with a Native American
theme. Acrylic
was his primary medium during this period.
In 1971, Bellows took his first trip to Europe
to study the art of the great masters throughout Italy
and France
.
In 1972, the left-handed Bellows’ ability to work was halted by pain caused by a ganglion cyst
that was wound around the tendon
s of his left wrist. Bellows was referred to the Mayo Clinic
, where the cyst was removed in a long and complicated surgery. Bellows soaked his wrist in a therapeutic hot wax bath daily for the rest of his life to treat the remaining wrist pain.
After renting a house with a friend and then living in a patron’s carriage house
for a year, Bellows moved into a midtown Omaha apartment, where he lived and worked for the remainder of the decade. He lived there with Elizabeth Irvin, to whom he was married in 1976. Bellows earned a portion of his living during this period through illustration work for publications such as Omni
and Rolling Stone
, often with a science fiction
theme. One such illustration, which appeared in Rolling Stone in 1975, featured science fiction writer Philip K. Dick
, who later wrote in a letter to Bellows, “You gave me a reflected self or identity and I suddenly believed I was real…From the moment I saw your picture, I was changed back to my old, real self…you cured me of my identity-less sickness. This is heavy stuff, but true.”
ure in the early 80s, leading to a more serious focus on the human figure, and a greater interest in the medium of graphite
.
In 1985, Bellows learned that New York
gallery owner Peter Tatistcheff was coming to the region, and Bellows asked a Blair man who owned several of Bellows’ works to invite the gallery owner to join him for dinner as a scheme for Bellows to meet him and show him his portfolio
. Two weeks later, Bellows had signed with the Tatistcheff Gallery. From this event began a very prolific two decades of primarily figurative artwork using graphite, charcoal
, pastel
, egg tempera, acrylic, and oil
.
Commenting on his meticulous approach, Bellows stated in 1986, “The image I create on the canvas is the difference between the reality of a photograph and what is actually happening. This makes for a finely tuned picture, enabling me to capture the subject’s soul.” Bellows was reluctant to talk about the meaning of specific works. In 1988, he said, “I try to depict the inner life of the subject, to give outward form to an inner state. I think my pictures have stories behind them, but I like to leave a feeling of openness. I hope that things keep going in the viewer’s mind. There’s nothing more boring than a story too quickly told. Once all the elements of a story are nailed down, the viewer is left with nothing but the artist’s technique.”
During the 1980s, Bellows’ works were included in exhibits at:
In 1989, Bellows purchased a large building in midtown Omaha that he christened the Mahler Building, after the composer Gustav Mahler
. Once home to the Mermaid Lounge, Bellows renovated the building and used it as his studio, with space to build large sets to use as backdrops to his artwork. Regarding the design and creation of actual sets as backdrops to his work, he remarked, “It’s a real little bit of Hollywood, the way I work.” In 1992, Bellows also described his art as “little movies that don’t move…I try to make art that is really part of me, that there is just no question about it. I get that from a Bergman
film. I get that from Scorsese
. I get that from David Lynch
.”
, in one of his lectures, said something that struck me—that artists are generally people who have come apart at the seams somewhere along the line, and their work is an attempt to put themselves back together again, or at least keep themselves together. That’s definitely what my work is about.” Later he added, “These projects work for me. It’s clarified my thinking. The thing about an experience like divorce for me is it’s just the way that the meaning drains out of your life. This has been my way to try to put it back, just to make sense of the experience. And it’s working, it’s working. I feel a lot calmer about it. I think that’s one thing about our culture. Just a part of our culture where any bad thing, just push it down, avoid it…don’t feel it…I’m trying to actually just feel it…because that’s the thing about emotions, they have a purpose. I mean, I’m no psychologist, but for myself, to actually experience it in a very complete way and survive it. They don’t go away, but you process that material and then you go on to the next thing. I think that’s what I’m doing.”
Shortly after Bellows’ divorce, he traveled to Europe for the second time, this time primarily studying artwork in Florence
, Italy. Bellows often looked to the old master
s for his inspiration. In 1992, he stated, “I feel like my real teachers were the older painters. They were the ones. I would go to Joslyn, and feel like I learned how to apply paint from what I saw down there.” He once said that he frequently did self-portrait
s because it is the tradition of artists, especially those he admired most—the artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Bellows also spoke of the influence of the nineteenth century American painter, Thomas Eakins
, on his work, and referred to him as his “great American hero.” He described Gregory Gillespie
, a contemporary figurative artist, as another artist who was a great inspiration.
In 1993, Bellows left Tatistcheff Gallery to join Forum Gallery in New York City.
Following his 1991 divorce, Bellows had continued to reside in his midtown Omaha home along with his two teenage stepdaughters, but by 1994, they were on their own, and he sold the house to a long-time friend. Bellows moved into his nearby studio building, where he lived and worked for the remainder of his life.
During the 1990s, Bellows’ works were included in exhibits at:
, common in his mother’s family. Bellows’ ability to work was increasingly impacted.
Between 2000 and 2005, Bellows’ works were included in exhibits at:
His works were featured in The Gettysburg Review
, Spring, 2004.
Bellows’ works have been acquired by museums and galleries which include the Metropolitan Museum of Art
, the New Britain Museum of American Art, the Toledo Museum of Art, the Arkansas Arts Center, Joslyn Art Museum, and by many collectors including Glenn C. Jans, Jalane and Richard Davidson, Rita Rich, Richard D. Segal (Seavest Collection) and Howard Tullman.
In September 2005, Kent Bellows was found in his studio/home, apparently having died in his sleep. He was 56 years of age. The cause of death was never determined.
Figurative art
Figurative art, sometimes written as figurativism, describes artwork—particularly paintings and sculptures—which are clearly derived from real object sources, and are therefore by definition representational.-Definition:...
works in the realist
Realism (visual arts)
Realism in the visual arts is a style that depicts the actuality of what the eyes can see. The term is used in different senses in art history; it may mean the same as illusionism, the representation of subjects with visual mimesis or verisimilitude, or may mean an emphasis on the actuality of...
style. His artwork is sometimes referred to as “meticulous realism,” a subcategory referring to the artist’s startling attention to detail.
“I see in my mind this mysterious, ethereal museum filled with paintings I haven’t done. That’s what makes the whole trip worthwhile.” -- Kent Bellows, 1971
The 1950s
Kent Bellows was born June 26, 1949, in Blair, NebraskaBlair, Nebraska
Blair is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,990 at the 2000 census. Blair is a part of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
. As a young boy, Bellows attended Saturday matinees at the town theater and became enamored with cinema, an interest that continued throughout his life and was influential to his artwork. He was known in the small community as “that kid who can draw.”
The 1960s
Bellows’ father, a commercial artist and watercolorist, recognized his son’s natural proclivity toward art and taught him what he knew from his own training and experience. In later years, Bellows referred to his father as his “best critic” and “a great influence.” In 1965, Bellows, his parents, and his two younger sisters, moved to Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
. While attending high school, he earned money selling artwork and playing keyboards with rock-and-roll bands.
Following high school, Bellows studied art history at the local university for two years, while also experimenting with various artistic styles and mediums. During this time, he continued to play keyboards with bands, including a Midwest tour with performers Sonny and Cher.
The 1970s
Making a decision to focus solely on developing his artistic talent, Bellows sought out patronPatrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
s, in the tradition of the masters, for financial support, including Omaha
Omaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
native, Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett
Warren Edward Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. Often introduced as "legendary investor, Warren Buffett", he is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is...
. Mr. Buffett referred Bellows to his wife, Susie, a lover of the arts. Mrs. Buffett agreed to provide support for one year in exchange for artwork. Out of this relationship developed a lifelong, mutual friendship. In 1970, Bellows resided briefly in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and then Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, but soon settled back in Omaha, where he remained for the duration of his life.
Bellows’ early works were included in Joslyn Art Museum
Joslyn Art Museum
The Joslyn Art Museum is the principal fine arts museum in the state of Nebraska, United States of America. Located in Omaha, it is the only museum in the state with a comprehensive permanent collection...
’s 1970 Midwest Biennial Show as well as other Omaha exhibitions. His early works included abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
s and figurative pieces, some with a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
theme. Acrylic
Acrylic paint
Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry...
was his primary medium during this period.
In 1971, Bellows took his first trip to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to study the art of the great masters throughout Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
In 1972, the left-handed Bellows’ ability to work was halted by pain caused by a ganglion cyst
Ganglion cyst
A ganglion cyst, also known as a bible cyst, is a swelling that often appears on or around joints and tendons in the hand or foot. The size of the ganglion or cyst can vary over time. It is most frequently located around the dorsum of the wrist and on the fingers...
that was wound around the tendon
Tendon
A tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, and fasciae connect muscles to other...
s of his left wrist. Bellows was referred to the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
, where the cyst was removed in a long and complicated surgery. Bellows soaked his wrist in a therapeutic hot wax bath daily for the rest of his life to treat the remaining wrist pain.
After renting a house with a friend and then living in a patron’s carriage house
Carriage house
A carriage house, also called remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack.In Great Britain the farm building was called a Cart Shed...
for a year, Bellows moved into a midtown Omaha apartment, where he lived and worked for the remainder of the decade. He lived there with Elizabeth Irvin, to whom he was married in 1976. Bellows earned a portion of his living during this period through illustration work for publications such as Omni
Omni (magazine)
OMNI was a science and science fiction magazine published in the US and the UK. It contained articles on science fact and short works of science fiction...
and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, often with a science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
theme. One such illustration, which appeared in Rolling Stone in 1975, featured science fiction writer Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
, who later wrote in a letter to Bellows, “You gave me a reflected self or identity and I suddenly believed I was real…From the moment I saw your picture, I was changed back to my old, real self…you cured me of my identity-less sickness. This is heavy stuff, but true.”
The 1980s
Bellows and his wife divorced in 1979, and in 1980, Bellows met and married Angela Shomaker. Bellows, his wife, and her three children from a former marriage, moved into an older home in midtown Omaha, where Bellows set up a studio in the basement. He supported his new family through commissioned portraitPortrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
ure in the early 80s, leading to a more serious focus on the human figure, and a greater interest in the medium of graphite
Graphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
.
In 1985, Bellows learned that New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
gallery owner Peter Tatistcheff was coming to the region, and Bellows asked a Blair man who owned several of Bellows’ works to invite the gallery owner to join him for dinner as a scheme for Bellows to meet him and show him his portfolio
Career portfolio
Career portfolios are used to plan, organize and document education, work samples and skills. People use career portfolios to apply to jobs, apply to college or training programs, get a higher salary, show transferable skills, and to track personal development. They are more in-depth than a resume,...
. Two weeks later, Bellows had signed with the Tatistcheff Gallery. From this event began a very prolific two decades of primarily figurative artwork using graphite, charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
, pastel
Pastel
Pastel is an art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are the same as those used to produce all colored art media, including oil paints; the binder is of a neutral hue and low saturation....
, egg tempera, acrylic, and oil
Oil paint
Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. The viscosity of the paint may be modified by the addition of a solvent such as turpentine or white spirit, and varnish may be added to increase the glossiness of the...
.
Commenting on his meticulous approach, Bellows stated in 1986, “The image I create on the canvas is the difference between the reality of a photograph and what is actually happening. This makes for a finely tuned picture, enabling me to capture the subject’s soul.” Bellows was reluctant to talk about the meaning of specific works. In 1988, he said, “I try to depict the inner life of the subject, to give outward form to an inner state. I think my pictures have stories behind them, but I like to leave a feeling of openness. I hope that things keep going in the viewer’s mind. There’s nothing more boring than a story too quickly told. Once all the elements of a story are nailed down, the viewer is left with nothing but the artist’s technique.”
During the 1980s, Bellows’ works were included in exhibits at:
- Tatistcheff Gallery, New York City
- Museum of the Surreal and Fantastique, New York City
- Arkansas Arts CenterArkansas Arts CenterOne of the leading cultural institutions in the state, the Arkansas Arts Center is located on the corner of 9th and Commerce streets in MacArthur Park, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. The Arkansas Arts Center was founded in 1960, but the idea began in 1914, when the Fine Arts Club of Arkansas formed...
, Little Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census... - Huntsville Museum of ArtHuntsville Museum of ArtHuntsville Museum of Art is a museum located in Huntsville, Alabama. It was originally established by city Ordinance No. 70-134, on August 13, 1970, which established the Museum Board of the City of Huntsville. The museum held its first exhibition in 1973 and moved to its first permanent facility...
, Huntsville, AlabamaHuntsville, AlabamaHuntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census.... - Hirschl and Adler, New York City
- Harris, Samuel, and Company Gallery, Coconut Grove, FloridaCoconut Grove, FloridaCoconut Grove is the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhood of Miami, Florida in Miami-Dade County, United States. The neighborhood is roughly bound by North Prospect Drive to the south, LeJeune Road to the west, South Dixie Highway and Rickenbacker Causeway to the north, and Biscayne Bay to...
- National Academy of DesignNational Academy of DesignThe National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
, New York City - Smith College Museum of Art, Northhampton, Massachusetts
- Butler Institute of American ArtButler Institute of American ArtThe Butler Institute of American Art, located on Wick Avenue in Youngstown, Ohio, United States, was the first museum dedicated exclusively to American art. Established by local industrialist and philanthropist Joseph G. Butler, Jr., the museum has been operating pro bono since 1919...
, Youngstown, OhioYoungstown, OhioYoungstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania... - Sheldon Art Museum, Lincoln, NebraskaLincoln, NebraskaThe City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
- Nelson-Atkins Museum of ArtNelson-Atkins Museum of ArtThe Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is an art museum in Kansas City, Missouri, known for its neoclassical architecture and extensive collection of Asian art....
, Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... - New Britain Museum of American ArtNew Britain Museum of American ArtThe New Britain Museum of American Art is an art museum in New Britain, Connecticut. Founded in 1903, it is the first museum in the country dedicated to American art....
, New Britain, ConnecticutNew Britain, ConnecticutNew Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately 9 miles southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 71,254.... - Squibb Gallery, Princeton, New JerseyPrinceton, New JerseyPrinceton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
- Toledo Museum of ArtToledo Museum of ArtThe Toledo Museum of Art is an internationally known art museum located in the Old West End neighborhood of Toledo, Ohio, United States. The museum was founded by Toledo glassmaker Edward Drummond Libbey in 1901, and moved to its present location, a Greek revival building designed by Edward B....
, Toledo, OhioToledo, OhioToledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
In 1989, Bellows purchased a large building in midtown Omaha that he christened the Mahler Building, after the composer Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
. Once home to the Mermaid Lounge, Bellows renovated the building and used it as his studio, with space to build large sets to use as backdrops to his artwork. Regarding the design and creation of actual sets as backdrops to his work, he remarked, “It’s a real little bit of Hollywood, the way I work.” In 1992, Bellows also described his art as “little movies that don’t move…I try to make art that is really part of me, that there is just no question about it. I get that from a Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...
film. I get that from Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
. I get that from David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
.”
The 1990s
In 1991, Bellows and his second wife divorced, an event that had an enormous impact on Bellows, and on his art, which became more intense and sometimes darker, and included more religious themes. Bellows talked about the relationship between his art and his personal life in a 1992 Nebraska Educational Television documentary, “What is Art?” “Talk about saving the world. It does save my world. It’s the way I just kind of claw and find my way through the darkness. I mean that’s it. I can’t imagine a life without making art. Joseph CampbellJoseph Campbell
Joseph John Campbell was an American mythologist, writer and lecturer, best known for his work in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work is vast, covering many aspects of the human experience...
, in one of his lectures, said something that struck me—that artists are generally people who have come apart at the seams somewhere along the line, and their work is an attempt to put themselves back together again, or at least keep themselves together. That’s definitely what my work is about.” Later he added, “These projects work for me. It’s clarified my thinking. The thing about an experience like divorce for me is it’s just the way that the meaning drains out of your life. This has been my way to try to put it back, just to make sense of the experience. And it’s working, it’s working. I feel a lot calmer about it. I think that’s one thing about our culture. Just a part of our culture where any bad thing, just push it down, avoid it…don’t feel it…I’m trying to actually just feel it…because that’s the thing about emotions, they have a purpose. I mean, I’m no psychologist, but for myself, to actually experience it in a very complete way and survive it. They don’t go away, but you process that material and then you go on to the next thing. I think that’s what I’m doing.”
Shortly after Bellows’ divorce, he traveled to Europe for the second time, this time primarily studying artwork in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy. Bellows often looked to the old master
Old Master
"Old Master" is a term for a European painter of skill who worked before about 1800, or a painting by such an artist. An "old master print" is an original print made by an artist in the same period...
s for his inspiration. In 1992, he stated, “I feel like my real teachers were the older painters. They were the ones. I would go to Joslyn, and feel like I learned how to apply paint from what I saw down there.” He once said that he frequently did self-portrait
Self-portrait
A self-portrait is a representation of an artist, drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by the artist. Although self-portraits have been made by artists since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid 15th century that artists can be frequently identified depicting...
s because it is the tradition of artists, especially those he admired most—the artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Bellows also spoke of the influence of the nineteenth century American painter, Thomas Eakins
Thomas Eakins
Thomas Cowperthwait Eakins was an American realist painter, photographer, sculptor, and fine arts educator...
, on his work, and referred to him as his “great American hero.” He described Gregory Gillespie
Gregory Gillespie
Gregory Joseph Gillespie was an American magic realist painter.-Life and career:He was born in Roselle Park, New Jersey. After graduating from high school, he became a nondegree student at Cooper Union in New York...
, a contemporary figurative artist, as another artist who was a great inspiration.
In 1993, Bellows left Tatistcheff Gallery to join Forum Gallery in New York City.
Following his 1991 divorce, Bellows had continued to reside in his midtown Omaha home along with his two teenage stepdaughters, but by 1994, they were on their own, and he sold the house to a long-time friend. Bellows moved into his nearby studio building, where he lived and worked for the remainder of his life.
During the 1990s, Bellows’ works were included in exhibits at:
- Tatistcheff Gallery, New York City
- Museum of Nebraska ArtMuseum of Nebraska ArtThe Museum of Nebraska Art is the official art museum of the state of Nebraska. The museum is located in Kearney, Nebraska, and is administratively affiliated with the University of Nebraska at Kearney...
, Kearney, NebraskaKearney, NebraskaKearney is a city in and the county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 30,787 at the 2010 census. It is home to the University of Nebraska-Kearney.... - Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, Arkansas
- North Miami Center of Contemporary Art, Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
- Midtown Payson Gallery, New York City
- Chicago International Art Exposition, Navy PierNavy PierNavy Pier is a long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. It is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million, equivalent to $ today. It was a part of the Plan of Chicago developed by architect and...
, Chicago, Illinois - Fillbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
- Forum Gallery, New York City
- Art Dealers’ Association of America, Seventh Regiment ArmorySeventh Regiment ArmoryThe Seventh Regiment Armory, located at 643 Park Avenue also known as in New York, New York, United States, is an historic brick building that fills an entire city block on New York's Upper East Side.- History :...
, New York City - Art Institute of ChicagoArt Institute of ChicagoThe School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
, Chicago, Illinois.
2000-2005
By 2003, Bellows had begun expressing great concern about increasing pain and diminished flexibility in his left wrist and hand, apparently related to the earlier surgery, overuse, and an additional developing condition known as Dupuytren's contractureDupuytren's contracture
Dupuytren's contracture , is a fixed flexion contracture of the hand where the fingers bend towards the palm and cannot be fully extended...
, common in his mother’s family. Bellows’ ability to work was increasingly impacted.
Between 2000 and 2005, Bellows’ works were included in exhibits at:
- Art Dealers’ Association of America, Seventh Regiment Armory, New York City
- Joslyn Art MuseumJoslyn Art MuseumThe Joslyn Art Museum is the principal fine arts museum in the state of Nebraska, United States of America. Located in Omaha, it is the only museum in the state with a comprehensive permanent collection...
, Omaha, Nebraska - Forum Gallery, New York City
- Museum of Nebraska Art, Kearney, Nebraska
- New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, Summit, New JerseySummit, New JerseySummit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
- Chicago International Art Exhibition, Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois
- Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, New YorkPurchase, New YorkPurchase, New York is a hamlet of the town of Harrison, in Westchester County. Its ZIP code is 10577. Its name is derived from Harrison's purchase, for Harrison could have as much land as he could ride in one day...
.
His works were featured in The Gettysburg Review
The Gettysburg Review
The Gettysburg Review is a quarterly literary magazine featuring short stories, poetry, essays and reviews. Work appearing in the magazine often is reprinted in "best-of" anthologies and receives awards....
, Spring, 2004.
Bellows’ works have been acquired by museums and galleries which include the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
, the New Britain Museum of American Art, the Toledo Museum of Art, the Arkansas Arts Center, Joslyn Art Museum, and by many collectors including Glenn C. Jans, Jalane and Richard Davidson, Rita Rich, Richard D. Segal (Seavest Collection) and Howard Tullman.
In September 2005, Kent Bellows was found in his studio/home, apparently having died in his sleep. He was 56 years of age. The cause of death was never determined.