Aran 2005

Sean Scully made this photograph, Aran, to look at the stones and the wall, and the way the light defines them. His process is on full view here, as it is with his paintings. Look at how each stone is unique, a record of its own geological history, fitted together to form a whole. The texture of the stone, the rough, weathered surfaces, and the way the light catches the edges, all create a sense of depth and weight. The grass below looks wild in contrast to the man-made wall. The photograph’s muted tones add to the image’s quiet and contemplative mood. Scully often explores similar themes of structure and surface in his abstract paintings, echoing the way the stones in this wall are stacked and arranged. Think of Agnes Martin's grids when you see this, but wilder. The photograph doesn't offer fixed answers but invites us to reflect on the many possible ways of seeing and experiencing the world.