Indelible Artist

Sean Scully

One of the most important abstract painters of his generation, Sean Scully has built an unmistakable visual language from stripes, blocks, colour and weight — transforming geometry into something emotional, physical and deeply human.

Born Dublin, 1945Contemporary abstractionPainting & printmakingColour & structure
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Sean Scully artwork

Biography

Artist background

Born in Dublin in 1945 and raised in South London, Sean Scully studied at Croydon College of Art and Newcastle University before receiving a Frank Knox Fellowship to Harvard University in 1972.

After moving to New York, Scully developed a distinctive language that brought the structure of Minimalism together with the physicality and emotion of painting. Repeated bands, blocks and panels became vehicles for colour, memory, rhythm, architecture and atmosphere.

Across painting, printmaking, sculpture, watercolour and pastel, Scully has created a body of work that is instantly recognisable. His abstraction feels built and inhabited rather than mechanically perfect.

At a glance
Born1945, Dublin
RaisedSouth London
PracticePainting, printmaking & sculpture
Known forStripes, blocks & colour
Turner PrizeNominated twice

Available works

Current Indelible selection
Sean Scully - Wall of Light Deep Red

Wall of Light Deep Red

2009 • Offset lithograph on 250gsm paper • 20 × 15 cm • Enquire for price
Sean Scully - Cut Ground Red

Cut Ground Red

2011 • Offset lithograph on 250gsm paper • Enquire for price
Sean Scully - Landline Red

Landline Red

2015 • Offset lithograph on 250gsm paper • Edition 1/30 • Enquire for price
Sean Scully - Yellow Wall (Myanmar, 2021)

Yellow Wall (Myanmar, 2021)

2021 • Offset lithograph on 250gsm paper • Enquire for price
View all Sean Scully works

Highlights

Career & collector context
  • Moved to New York in the 1970s and developed a major international career in abstract painting.
  • Nominated for the Turner Prize in both 1989 and 1993.
  • His paintings reject mechanical perfection in favour of hand-painted edges, layered surfaces and emotional colour.
  • Works are held in major museum collections internationally, including Tate, MoMA and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
  • His recurring Wall of Light compositions are among the best-known developments within his mature practice.

Press & References

Institutional context
TateInstitutional collection and artist context for Sean Scully.MoMASean Scully in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, New York.The Metropolitan Museum of ArtCollection context for Scully's work within a major international museum.Lisson GalleryCareer biography, exhibitions and context for Scully's development as an abstract painter.

At Indelible

Available now

Indelible currently offers a Sean Scully work that brings his characteristic architecture of colour and form into a highly collectible format. Contact the gallery for current price, condition, provenance, framing and additional photography.

Explore Sean Scully at Indelible or contact the gallery for current availability and collecting advice.

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