Dimensions: displayed: 2137 x 2142 mm
Copyright: © Sean Scully | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: This is Sean Scully's "Fort #2," residing here at the Tate. The two stacked sections, especially the upper grid, give it such a rigid feel. What do you make of its composition? Curator: Indeed. The composition is defined by a rigorous adherence to the grid. Note how the horizontal bands in the upper register contrast with the verticality in the lower. Do you observe how Scully exploits the materiality of paint? Editor: Yes, the brushstrokes feel very present, fighting against the rigidity. It feels like a tension. Curator: Precisely. This tension between structure and texture is at the heart of Scully's project. It challenges our perception of abstract painting. Editor: I see it now. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It is through this careful observation that we unlock the artwork’s visual logic.
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tate 5 months ago
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This work consists of two panels connected along their vertical edge, and with stripes painted across both of them. The title refers to the classical design of Roman forts, which had four sections. During the 1970s, many of Scully’s paintings had been based on a grid format. Towards the end of that decade, he began to keep the horizontal and vertical lines separate. As he explained, ‘the painting is really a separated grid, a grid that has been pulled apart’. Gallery label, September 2004
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