Iason Ragnar Bellerophon
Jason Robert Bell (born 1972) is a artist based in New York City.....
Iason Ragnar Bellerophon, Mystic:Body Double for God, World's Greatest Living Thothist, Cavemanrobot, Lord High Archon Number Eight, Oversoul Seven, Jace the Ace from Hyperspace, Cartoonist, Sexpressionist Painter, aka Jason Robert Bell ‽
The Tetragrammatron ArchiveIason Ragnar BellerophonEarly life and educationJason Robert Bell was born in 1972 in Houston, Texas[1].Bell studied art in Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, graduating in 1991[3]. He continued his training at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, earning a B.F.A. in painting in 1995[4][5]. His education culminated with an M.F.A. in painting from Yale School of Art in 2000—Today Bell resides in Brooklyn, New York[6]Artistic style and themesCritics often describe Bell’s work as an over‑caffeinated fusion of comic‑book energy, neo‑expressionist painting and esoteric spirituality. A reviewer of his 2006 “Kala Series” exhibition noted his dedication to “vibrant colors, brushy paint application and stark materiality”[8]. The works depict Kala, a dreadlocked female Sasquatch alter‑ego, and blend sci‑fi narrative and base humor[9]. Another critic likened Bell’s retrospective “Tetragrammatron” to an “over‑caffeinated comic‑book sensibility,” where paintings and drawings were mixed with comic pages and found‑object sculptures[10]. Bell freely adopts influences from 1980s Neo‑Expressionism, comic artists such as Jack Kirby, and pulp writer Philip José Farmer[11], leading to imagery that is simultaneously primitive, futuristic and humorous. He sometimes calls himself a “mystical rebel”[12] and identifies with concepts from Gnosticism and Hermeticism—references that appear in projects like his lecture “Lucifer is Jesus or Holy Frankenstein! A History of God, Hell, and Other Gnostic Flaptrap”. Bell’s art flouts the divide between high and low culture, presenting mythic heroes, cartoon creatures and religious symbols with equal reverence.Alter‑egos and pseudonymsBell’s personas enhance his mythology. On his current website he lists himself as “Iason Ragnar Bellerophon, Mystic: Body Double for God, World’s Greatest Living Thothist, Caveman Robot, Lord High Archon Number Eight, Oversoul Seven, Jace the Ace from Hyperspace, Cartoonist, Sexpressionist Painter”[7]. These titles recall characters from mythology, the ancient Egyptian god Thoth, and New Age philosophies. The pseudonym Iason Ragnar Bellerophon evokes the Greek hero Bellerophon; it allows Bell to inhabit a heroic alter‑ego in his art and in the pulp fiction community where he contributes illustrations[13]. By adopting multiple identities, he collapses the boundaries between author, character and artwork.Major projects and seriesCaveman Robot and the Kala PaintingsBell’s best‑known characters are Caveman Robot and Kala, first exhibited in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Caveman Robot—a joint creation of Bell and Shoshanna Weinberger—is a hulking cyborg dressed in fur; he combines prehistoric brute force with futuristic technology[14]. The Kala paintings portray a rampaging female Sasquatch who can be both “impossibly beautiful, transcendent, comical, erotic and horrific”[6]. Reviewers emphasize the raw application of paint and comic‑book anger in these works; in paintings such as “Kala Meets the Sun,” Bell used spray paint, acrylics and epoxy to imbue the figure with nobility[15]. An exhibition at Thomas Robertello Gallery in Chicago placed a life‑sized sculpture of Kala with “gigantic oven‑knob nipples” in the window, signalling Bell’s willingness to mix sci‑fi narrative and over‑the‑top humor[16].Trashures projectFrom 2002 to 2005 Bell created “Trashures”, spiky found‑object sculptures placed on city streets. He observed that these works explored “the shock of context”—objects that in a gallery would be evaluated for aesthetic value but on the street force passersby to decide whether they are trash or treasure[17]. In his retrospective the undeployed Trashures were presented alongside paintings and comics to highlight the interplay between handmade sculpture and readymade detritus[18].Metaphysical portraitsBell’s “Metaphysical Portraits” are psychedelic drawings and paintings intended to represent human souls. They use charcoal, watercolor, ink and oil stick on paper and were shown in Postmasters Gallery’s “Mirror, Mirror” exhibition. In 2010 Bell performed “Spontaneous Metaphysical Portraits,” inviting gallery visitors to sit for portraits he drew on the spot. These portraits combine free‑flowing line work with cosmic symbolism, further blurring the boundary between performance and drawing.White Feathered Octopus and other literary projectsWhile bedridden after a back injury, Bell wrote “The White Feathered Octopus,” a book mixing autobiography, mythology and wordplay. A reviewer described it as “poetic, epic, and puzzle‑like—a mystery to be enjoyed but never solved”[19]. The book is accompanied by a tarot deck of Bell’s design, underscoring his interest in mystical systems. Bell often identifies with the Biblical Tetragrammaton (“I am that I am”) and views his art as a way of manifesting this ineffable name[20]. In 2024 Meteor House commissioned Bell (as Iason Ragnar Bellerophon) to create full‑color interior plates for its Secrets of the Nine omnibus; the publisher noted that Bell is a long‑time Philip José Farmer fan who previously adapted Farmer’s novel “A Feast Unknown” into a multi‑media film cycle that used thousands of drawings and pre‑recorded audio[13].Gnostic lectures and performance experimentsBell’s works often incorporate lectures or performances about religion and metaphysics. In 2004 he wrote and performed “Lucifer is Jesus or Holy Frankenstein! A History of God, Hell, and Other Gnostic Flaptrap,” a multi‑media lecture examining infernology and Gnosticism. In 2011 he created “Mastermind,” a one‑hour performance experiment staged at the Brick Theater in Brooklyn (listed in his CV). These performances emphasize his interest in combining storytelling, film, lecture and ritual.Caveman Robot multimedia and theatrical projectsBeyond paintings, the Caveman Robot universe expanded into comic books and theater. Bell wrote and performed in “Adventures of Caveman Robot: The Musical” (Brooklyn, 2006). He also collaborated on audio plays such as “Trav SD presents the Caveman Robot Radio Adventure Hour” broadcast on WFMU and performed at 92YTribeca. These projects illustrate his commitment to multi‑platform storytelling.Collaborations and personal lifeBell frequently collaborates with other artists. He co‑created Caveman Robot with Britton Walters and Shoshanna Weinberger[21]. He did a series of Performance Installation Projects and Actions with Doug Young. Collaborated on number performances at The Brick Theater. With Marni Kotak, his wife and a performance artist, he has developed works that merge domestic life and art. In Kotak’s 2011 project “The Birth of Baby X,” Microscope Gallery was turned into a birthing suite; reviewers noted that the installation was a cozy environment “created by the artist and her husband, the painter Jason Robert Bell”[22]. During the actual birth, Bell assisted with performance and created a mixed‑media painting by kneading the placenta on paper[23]. Critics discussed how the piece blurred boundaries between art and life and questioned the ethics of presenting childbirth as art[24].He has also organized guerrilla public art events. In 2005 Bell and artist Marie Lorenz launched the First Annual Huron Street Pier Invitational Boat Launch in Brooklyn, sending more than 30 artist‑made boats into the East River[25]. His CV lists additional collaborations with video artist Marni Kotak, the installation “Turtlecove, the Game of Tomorrow, TODAY!” (2010), and numerous group shows.Exhibitions and recognitionBell’s CV and gallery records show a prolific exhibition history. Selected solo exhibitions include:“The Tetragrammatron Archive” series (2011–2012): six consecutive exhibitions at Thomas Robertello Gallery in Chicago, each exploring different aspects of Bell’s mythos[26].“The Unreasoning Mask” (2009): a one‑person show at Thomas Robertello Gallery that combined paintings, sculptures and drawings.“Dramatis Personae” (2007/8) at Alcove in New York.“Tetragrammatron: 10 years of Art” (2006) at the John Slade Ely House and Newspace Gallery—retrospectives covering a decade of his output.“The Kala Series” (2006) at Thomas Robertello Gallery.“A Feast Unknown!” multimedia cycle (2005) at The Brick Theater.His group exhibitions range widely, from Postmasters Gallery’s “Mirror, Mirror” (New York, 2010) to curated shows such as “Spontaneous Metaphysical” (2010) and “Escape from New York” (Paterson, NJ, 2010). Bell’s work has been shown in New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., Baltimore and even Tokyo[6]. He has participated in art fairs (Aqua Art Miami, 2007; Aqua Wynwood Fair, 2008), and his Alice Kimball English Traveling Fellowship (Yale) and merit scholarship from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago testify to early institutional recognition[27].Influence, community and legacyBell occupies a liminal space in contemporary art. Critics from the Connecticut Art Scene observed that he might have become an outsider artist if not for his formal education[28]. Instead, he channels outsider energy into academically informed painting and sculpture. His work draws on pulp fiction, comic books, science fiction, mysticism and art history, mixing them with performative rituals. By embracing personas like Caveman Robot and Iason Ragnar Bellerophon, he collapses the distance between the artist’s life and his mythology. Bell’s contributions to Philip José Farmer fandom and pulp literature—illustrating the Secrets of the Nine omnibus and adapting A Feast Unknown—show his commitment to bridging fine art and genre fiction[13]. Through his collaborations with performance artists and guerrilla public art events, he demonstrates that art can be integrated into everyday life, often with humor and spectacle.ConclusionJason Robert Bell, also known by his mythic persona Iason Ragnar Bellerophon, is a polymathic artist whose practice spans painting, sculpture, comics, performance, literature and mythology. Rooted in a rigorous formal education but inspired by comic books and pulp fiction, his work celebrates imagination, excess and the sacred. From the primal force of Caveman Robot and Kala to the subtle metaphysics of his portraits and tarot cards, Bell invites viewers to explore alternate realities where high art and low culture merge. His ongoing experiments with alter‑egos, mystical lectures and collaborative performances continue to challenge expectations and expand the definition of contemporary art.
[1] [3] [4] [27] Bellwether Gallery: Jason Robert Bellhttps://www.bellwethergallery.com/bell.html[2] [10] [14] [15] [17] [18] [21] [28] Connecticut Art Scene: The Caveman Robot within each of ushttps://ctartscene.blogspot.com/2006/12/caveman-robot-within-each-of-us.html[5] [6] Jason Robert Bell: The Kala Series - The Visualisthttps://thevisualist.org/2006/10/jason-robert-bell-the-kala-series/[7] www.tetragrammatron.comhttps://www.tetragrammatron.com/[8] [9] [11] [16] ART OR IDIOCY?: In the Gallerieshttps://artoridiocy.blogspot.com/2006/11/in-galleries.html[12] [19] [20] The White Feathered Octopus – (Travalanche)https://travsd.wordpress.com/2022/07/05/the-white-feathered-octopus/[13] Secrets of the Nine Omnibus to include three full color interior plates! – Meteor Househttps://meteorhousepress.com/2024/04/07/secrets-of-the-nine-omnibus-to-include-three-full-color-interior-plates/[22] Meet the Artist Who Can Actually Say, "My Baby Is a Work of Art"https://hyperallergic.com/marni-kotak-birth-of-baby-x-microscope-gallery/[23] [24] BROOKLYN DISPATCHES Birth of a Notion - The Brooklyn Railhttps://brooklynrail.org/2011/12/artseen/brooklyn-dispatchesbirth-of-a-notion/[25] marielorenz.comhttps://www.marielorenz.com/project.php[26] The Talos Creators: Iason Ragnar Bellerophon – Doc Taloshttps://doctalos.com/2021/05/10/the-talos-creators-2-iason-ragnar-bellerophon/
[1] [3] [4] [27] Bellwether Gallery: Jason Robert Bellhttps://www.bellwethergallery.com/bell.html[2] [10] [14] [15] [17] [18] [21] [28] Connecticut Art Scene: The Caveman Robot within each of ushttps://ctartscene.blogspot.com/2006/12/caveman-robot-within-each-of-us.html[5] [6] Jason Robert Bell: The Kala Series - The Visualisthttps://thevisualist.org/2006/10/jason-robert-bell-the-kala-series/[7] www.tetragrammatron.comhttps://www.tetragrammatron.com/[8] [9] [11] [16] ART OR IDIOCY?: In the Gallerieshttps://artoridiocy.blogspot.com/2006/11/in-galleries.html[12] [19] [20] The White Feathered Octopus – (Travalanche)https://travsd.wordpress.com/2022/07/05/the-white-feathered-octopus/[13] Secrets of the Nine Omnibus to include three full color interior plates! – Meteor Househttps://meteorhousepress.com/2024/04/07/secrets-of-the-nine-omnibus-to-include-three-full-color-interior-plates/[22] Meet the Artist Who Can Actually Say, "My Baby Is a Work of Art"https://hyperallergic.com/marni-kotak-birth-of-baby-x-microscope-gallery/[23] [24] BROOKLYN DISPATCHES Birth of a Notion - The Brooklyn Railhttps://brooklynrail.org/2011/12/artseen/brooklyn-dispatchesbirth-of-a-notion/[25] marielorenz.comhttps://www.marielorenz.com/project.php[26] The Talos Creators: Iason Ragnar Bellerophon – Doc Taloshttps://doctalos.com/2021/05/10/the-talos-creators-2-iason-ragnar-bellerophon/
Projects: Bellerophon Studio
https://www.pinterest.com/cavemanrobot/iason-ragnar-bellerophon/
https://www.pinterest.com/cavemanrobot/iason-ragnar-bellerophon/Sep 22 – Oct 19, 2023
https://www.tumblr.com/cavemanrobot
https://www.tumblr.com/cavemanrobotOct 26 – Nov 28, 2023
Joseph Gable: Edge of Love
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed eget eiusmod tempor labore et dolore culpa qui.Nov 30 – Dec 10, 2023
Eva Burgan: Broken Flame
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed eget eiusmod tempor labore et dolore culpa qui.Dec 18 – Dec 28, 2023
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