“My paintings talk of relationships. How bodies come together. How they touch. How they separate. How they live together, in harmony and disharmony. The character of bodies changes constantly through my work. According to color. The opacity and transparency of how the surface is made. This gives it its character and its nature. Its edge defines its relationship to its neighbor and how it exists in context. My paintings want to tell stories that are an abstracted equivalent of how the world of human relationships is made and unmade. How it is possible to evolve as a human being, in this.” Sean Scully
Sean Scully, “Red Sky”
When I first saw Scully’s paintings I was struck by their physicality. These are big objects. Frequently the stretchers are quite deep. Not only does he paint blocks of color that are stacked one on top of the other, but he also physically builds paintings into paintings. One stretched canvas is inserted into a hole in another canvas. A completely seperate entity inserted into the picture plane. The paint is viseral, thick, lucious, complex, layered, Like nature itself. But then, the big surprise: These paintings are filled with light. So, when you look at these blocks of color you think about what kind of light and even what kind of weather they exist in.
Sean Scully, “Moorland”
Sean Scully
Looking at some of Scully’s photos, you do get a sense that this notion of place, light and atmosphere is not foreign to him.
Sean Scully, “Inis Oirr Vl” , 2005, black and white photograph, 56.7 x 72.6 cm
Sean Scully, Inis Oirr Vl , 2005, black and white photograph, 56.7 x 72.6
Sean Scully, Wall of Light Cubed, 2007, granite, Aix en Provence, France
They are not just paintings about how things look in nature, but about how they behave — body next to body, stone next to stone.
Sean Scully, “End of Day”
Sean Scully, 1.1.08, 2008, pastel on paper, 56.8 x 76.6 cm
Thx, i love Sean Sculley’s Work.
Me, too, Daniel. I remember the first time I saw them and felt this incredible power coming off them. Thanks.
I first noticed Sean Sculley’s work about 12 years ago…I was instantly awed…I am still awed. This is an artist…I believe the greatest in a long time…growing out of the twentieth century. I always google to see if I can find a new painting…AWESOME…I have only ever seen a single original…in Newfoundland, at our little but very new provincal art gallery. It was placed with a group exhibition of Irish artists. What a show that was…I could not believe it…a gift of genius.
Keith, The visceral response that one gets in front of his work is undeniable. I love that you got to see the painting in the midst of a modest exhibition. It tells you that this quality is innate in the work and is not reliant on context.
Leslie, I understand, and thank-you for your kind reply. How could I misspell the artists’ name. I hope you continue to recieve enthuastic responces. Also, I too enjoy simple and direct statements about art works, and Mr. Scully is indeed very good in this respect…the presentation is solid…I have not seen much written about Mr. Scully, but I will go looking. I avoid the ideological, and enjoy the purer aesthetics respecting the simplicity of color and form, and juxtaposition and play…Again this is a great artist. My deepest respects.