Blue Fold 2006

Sean Scully made this ‘Blue Fold’ print; it’s all about stacking and arranging, kind of like building with blocks, but with color. The color palette is warm and earthy: ochre, terracotta, black, and a cool grey that adds a touch of melancholy. There's something really satisfying about how the rectangles are arranged. They're not perfect, they're slightly off-kilter, and the edges are soft and fuzzy. The colors feel like they’ve been layered on top of each other, creating a sense of depth and texture. Look closely, and you can see subtle variations in tone and hue. It’s like Scully built these blocks with feeling, with a sense of touch. Thinking about how Scully, who emerged from a minimalist tradition, brings so much warmth and humanity to abstraction makes me think of Agnes Martin, another master of the grid, who used subtle color to evoke emotion. Neither artist provides us with any easy answers, they make space for feeling, for questions.