Wall 1988

Sean Scully made "Wall" with paint, building up layers of color and texture to create something solid and grounded. Look at how the blocks of color sit next to each other. The earthy tones and vertical stripes give it a sense of order, but the way the paint is applied is anything but precise. You can see the brushstrokes, the little imperfections, which give it a real handmade feel. The color palette is simple, mostly browns and grays, but there’s a depth there, a warmth that pulls you in. The surface has a rough, tactile quality to it, like a weathered wall you might find in an old city. Scully’s work always reminds me of Agnes Martin in its simplicity and quietness, but there’s also something very physical and present about it. It's a reminder that art is a process, an ongoing conversation between the artist and the materials.