At 85, Larry Bell remains one of the most influential artists of his generation, still reshaping the way we experience light, glass, and space. Emerging from Los Angeles in the 1960s, he became a central figure in the Light and Space movement, celebrated for turning surface, reflection, and transparency into dynamic experiences. While he is best known for his glass cubes, his practice extends far beyond them, encompassing painting, works on paper, furniture, and large-scale sculptural environments.

This fall, New York offers a rare chance to see Larry's at work across three major presentations. Following The Cultivist’s private artist-led tour with him back in September, here’s a closer look at the projects that reveal the depth and range of his practice.

Larry Bell: Improvisations in the Park: at Madison Square Park (until March 15, 2026)

Larry's first outdoor public art commission in New York spans six lawns across Madison Square Park and features glass cubes and sculptural arrangements that shift in colour, surface, and reflection with the changing light and weather. Two of the works were created specifically for the park, while the others are presented in this setting for the first time. Set against the city skyline and the rhythms of the seasons, the pieces transform continuously, offering visitors a subtly different experience each time they visit.

Installation view of Larry Bell: “Improvisations in the Park”. Photo: courtesy Madison Square Park Conservancy.

Larry Bell: Irresponsible Iridescence at the Judd Foundation (until January 31, 2026)

Just a short walk downtown, the Judd Foundation presents Irresponsible Iridescence, a new exhibition focused on the artist's Solar Study works. On a smaller, more intimate scale, these pieces explore iridescent colour and light, drawing attention to the painterly qualities of his practice. The show also highlights Larry's long-standing dialogue with Donald Judd, a contemporary who shared his interest in material, surface, and spatial perception. Where the Madison Square Park works are expansive and public, the Judd exhibition offers a closer, contemplative encounter with his surfaces and subtleties in an alternative medium.

Installation view of Larry Bell: Irresponsible Iridescence at the Judd Foundation. Photo courtesy: Judd Foundation. 

Larry Bell at Dia Beacon (long-term presentation)

Further up the Hudson, Dia Beacon continues its long-term presentation of Larry's work, featuring a selection of early sculptures from his iconic small cubes to one of his first free-standing structures, Standing Walls (1968), now part of the museum’s collection. These are presented alongside Duo Nesting Boxes (2021), a diptych made specifically for Dia that bridges the open, autonomous form of the standing walls with the precise geometry of the cubes. Composed of layered green and blue glass panels, the work reflects the artist's recent explorations into colour saturation and density, enhancing the interplay between transparency and depth that has defined his practice.

Duo Nesting Boxes (2021), a diptych conceived for Dia Beacon. Photo: Thomas Barratt. 

Together, these three presentations offer a multifaceted portrait of Larry's work. Madison Square Park lets its sculptures interact with the natural environment, the Judd Foundation provides an intimate space to explore subtle surface effects, and Dia Beacon situates the work within a broader historical context alongside his contemporary.