Sean Scully's 'Wall of Light' Series at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sean Scully's 'Wall of Light' series was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York from September 28, 2006 to January 15, 2007. The series originated from watercolors created in 1983-84 during a trip to Mexico, where Scully was inspired by sunlight on Mayan ruins. The exhibition featured works on paper including foundational watercolors, pastels, and aquatints, alongside large-scale paintings measuring up to 9 by 11 feet. Scully's signature stripe motif, influenced by Moroccan textiles discovered over 30 years prior, forms interlocking squares in horizontal and vertical blocks. The artist splits his time between New York, Barcelona, and Mooseurach in the German Alps, with works reflecting each location's character. New York pieces appear cerebral and ordered, while Barcelona works are brighter and less rigid. Scully's palette ranges from subdued to somber, with occasional bursts of brilliance as seen in 'Wall of Light Heat' (2001). The series explores the paradoxical concept of turning stone into light, balancing durability with fleetingness. Scully's influences include Mondrian's grid structures, Rothko's color planes, and De Kooning's brushwork. The exhibition demonstrated Scully's position among leading abstract painters through rigorous, challenging works that transcend decorative abstraction.