Aran 2005

Sean Scully made this photograph, "Aran," with light and shadow. I see the hand in this, I really do; a gentle touch, carefully placing each stone, one by one. It's not paint, but it's still about layering and building. I can imagine Sean, out there, early morning maybe, the light just so, feeling the cool air and dampness. He’s thinking about the weight of the stones, their rough texture, the way they fit together, or don't quite fit. Look how the verticals assert themselves against the horizontals; it's a dance of form, like the grids he paints. It’s a language of line and form, but here, instead of oils and canvas, it’s light and stone. It reminds me of Agnes Martin and the way she used such subtle differences to express her own feelings. Artists are always talking to each other, you know, across time and medium. It's all about seeing and feeling, whether it’s paint or stone. There's always more than one way to see.