Sean Scully

Sean Scully (*1945 Dublin, IE) is best known for his large-scale abstract paintings, which combine monumentality with intimacy: large bold blocks and strips of colour, often with soft edges, reminding the viewer that there are no certainties to be found in these dynamic works. The imperfect geometric forms create grand but irregular grids, each with a unique energy of their own. Over the years, Scully’s artistic practice has expanded into areas such as sculpture, printmaking and photography.  

The architectural detail of the current, somewhat worn façades echoes Scully’s interest in the character of colourful forms and lively surfaces. As to what takes place on either side of these shut-up doors and windows, the viewer is none the wiser. Somehow though, they speak to the viewer anyway. Shot during a trip to the Dominican Republic’s capital city, the photographs recall the thick brushstrokes and layers of colour that shape much of the artist’s oeuvre. The Santo Domingo for Nené series is like a travelogue in which Scully departs from the studio to revisit some of the tropes of his finest paintings in a setting far from home.