"In 2001 Richard Bell developed a technique for making 'dot paintings' that would engage aboriginal aesthetics with modernist approaches to painting. The method employed was developed as a response to critical assessments of Aboriginal painting as a movement with aesthetic resemblances to abstract expressionism. As a reaction, Bell began making dots in the method of action painting, declaring that the 'traditional' dot technique was a form of slave labour demanded by the white controlled art-market. He named the technique, 'desperately seeking Emily', in homage to the great indigenous painter Emily Kam Kngwarey. He has continued the series intermittently since that time, embedding within the skein of dots barely perceptible messages. In this case, the text: Where is the Outrage? can be understood in relation to the ongoing prejudice and poverty experienced by Aboriginal Australians. It has been noted that his technique also recalls visually the Ishihara tests for colour blindness, where digits or figures are embedded in a picture composed of dots differentiated only by colour. Bell's allusion to colour blindness is an attempt to imagine a world without racism. Works from this series are held in notable collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne and the Foundation Opale, Switzerland." (Catalogue note, Sotheby's, Aboriginal Art, New York, 20 May 2025, lot 65)

"As a member of the Kamilaroi, Kooma, Jiman, and Gurang Gurang communities, Bell works across various media, including video, painting, installation, and text. His 2023 painting, Where is the Outrage?, reflects the style of Emily Kam Kngwarray, who is well represented in the collection, featuring layered dots that obscure text. Bell developed this technique in 2001, creating what he refers to as 'dot paintings'-a somewhat pejorative term used to describe central desert artworks-aimed at sparking discussions about authenticity and modernity. In this context, Bell serves as a deliberate and important counterpoint, using a complex and humorous style to challenge preconceived notions of Indigenous art. The phrase 'Where is the Outrage?' offers a political commentary on the ongoing prejudice, inequality, and extreme poverty experienced by Aboriginal peoples today. His technique also echoes Ishihara tests for color blindness, embedding digits or figures within compositions of colored dots to provide a statement about race, racism, and the misconceptions that persist around collecting Indigenous art." (Myles Russell-Cook, Artistic Director & CEO of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), in Contemporary Art of the Everywhen, written for Two Collections)