Sean Scully

One can ‘read’ Scully’s paintings both abstractly and figuratively. The series Doric, for instance, which he began in 2008, is dedicated to Greece and architecture. It can be seen as an ode to everything that Greek antiquity gave mankind, translated into abstract compositions. Scully once referred to the series as an overtly ‘pro-Western stance’. The works are composed of short horizontal and vertical strips in austere grey, brown and black hues. Together these make up a dense pattern of rectangular blocks. Of the three types of Greek columns – Doric, Ionic and Corinthian – the Doric is the simplest. Its somewhat squat proportions determine the appearance and the dimensions of the Doric temple. The paintings in this series also have a solid and robust appearance.