Sean Scully, Human. Abbey San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice.
11 May – October 2019

Sean Scully will presents Human, an exhibition curated by Javier Molins of recent works and new, never-before-seen pieces at the Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice. San Giorgio Maggiore promotes the dialogue between the church and contemporary artists, within the cultural activities of the non-profit branch, the Benedicti Claustra.

The celebrated Irish-born abstract artist has created a series of new sculptures, paintings, drawings, and watercolour works directly inspired by the monks’ Abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore, their vast illuminated manuscript collections and the 16th century Benedictine church. Scully’s instantly-recognisable visual vocabulary of horizontal and vertical stripes, which reflect fifty years of constant refining, transforms every corner of the High Renaissance church, designed four centuries ago by the legendary architect Andrea Palladio.

The soaring new sculpture, Opulent Ascension, is situated directly beneath the church’s central dome. Constructed from stacked frames, each wrapped in rich and varying colours of felt, the sculpture rises ten metres into the air like an elaborate Jacob’s ladder, leading the eye and spirit heavenwards through the Basilica’s dome. The tallest work ever created by the artist, Opulent Ascension embodies Scully’s conviction that his work can serve as a conduit between the physical world we can see and a transcendent one to which the soul aspires. “I want to make available the journey from the spiritual to the physical” wrote Scully in 2009, “and from the physical to the spiritual.” 

Scully’s response to this place of worship and contemplation, includes a series of watercolour drawings displayed in the sacristy of San Giorgio inspired and informed by the extensive collection of illuminated medieval manuscripts housed at the Basilica, which Scully spent time studying and exploring. They feature the artist’s own writing, illustrated with extensive drawing and paintings. 

In the large choir behind the altar, a vellum tome of watercolour drawings on hand-made paper, compiled by the artist for the exhibition, is on display. The extraordinary book – a luminous testament to the artist’s devotion to the project – echoes the charm and power of illuminated manuscripts from a bygone era.

Throughout the abbey’s gardens and its adjoining buildings, visitors discover an exhilarating array of works which resonate with the artist’s unique and inspiring vision: from painted triptychs and ‘soulscapes’ to a room devoted to the soft syllables of Scully’s exquisite pastels on paper.

Eight paintings from Scully’s acclaimed recent series Landline, adorn the church’s long and narrow passageway manica lunga, taking visitors on an excursion deep within themselves. Particularly eye-catching within the context of numerous abstract works are the three ground-breaking portraits from a new series entitled Madonna. This triptych is representative of an exciting recent impulse by Scully to return to figuration after having abandoned it five decades ago and is emblematic of what a landmark and transformative show this is.

Before exiting, visitors encounter the radiant and rich mosaic Arles-Abend-Vincent 2, whose three panels pulse with twilight blues, Byzantine golds, deep reds, and lustrous blacks. On one level, the work’s title and bold palette allude to the searching soul of Vincent Van Gogh, whom Scully acknowledges as a key inspiration. On another level, the emulation of spiritual architecture of the triptych and its display within San Giorgio is transformative in its power. It is difficult not to see the painting – both singular and triplicate in its making – as echoing the mysterious calculus of the Holy Trinity.