Sean Scully's 1980s Paintings at Mnuchin Gallery Reveal Transitional Period

Mnuchin Gallery in New York presented "Sean Scully: The Eighties" from September 13 to October 22, 2016, featuring more than 25 paintings from the artist's formative decade. The exhibition highlighted Scully's evolution from hard-edged minimalism to his signature style, with several works created during a 1982 residency at the Edward Albee Residency on Montauk using found wood. Key paintings included "Bear" (1982), composed of two vertically joined panels with contrasting black, white, and blue-gray stripes that create a sense of cinematic montage and duality. "Shelter Island" (1982) contrasted vertical and horizontal black and grayed-white bands on linen panels of different depths. "A Green Place" (1987) incorporated rectangular segments with black, off-white, and red bands, evoking horizon lines and recalling Henri Matisse's influence from Moroccan fabric patterns. "Triptych Aran" (1986) and "Empty Heart" (1987) featured somber off-white and black stripes, while "A Bedroom in Venice" (1988) used muted blue light to convey the city's atmospheric effects. Scully's move to New York City in 1975 preceded this transitional period, and by the late 1980s, his work achieved a distinct, assertive identity. The paintings demonstrated rhythmic, aggressive oil application and explored themes of proximity, distance, and emotional urgency, avoiding complacency while addressing art-historical connections. Scully's earlier work was also shown at Cheim & Read in early 2015.