See This : Wear That | Sean Scully

See This : Wear That


*image source: Lisson Gallery*

SEAN SCULLY

DUANE STREET

Happy New Year everyone, I hope you all had a great holiday season! January has been off to a heavy start with the LA fires so sending lots of love to you all.

I'm not going to lie winter in NYC is a tough time to go out and see art. For those that can't get enough I highly recommend swinging by Lisson Gallery for Sean Scully's Duane Street. What struck me most about the work is how much it reminded me of textiles. Around the gallery there are several paintings in keeping with the same motif of stripes. Naturally as a fashion designer my mind immediately went to fabric. But I think without that background the roughness to it almost feels like the imperfectness of fibers. And some of the works have an organic hand to it akin to fabric moving or being worn. Another feature I am drawn to are the canvases themselves. In a collage like manner different panels are put together creating an uneven edge to keep your eye moving about the work. This feels really successful with the painted linear patterns playing with literal ups and downs of the whole piece.

So that is my quick thought without reviewing or reading anything about the exhibit itself. If you are new here and aren't seeing art this way I highly suggest to go in clear mind, no references, and get your own feel to the show first. Because then when you go back and read that Duane Street is named after the studio space Scully worked out of which was a former textile warehouse, you can't help but love the subliminal connections. What I learned is that first the stripes were made quite tightly, then using masking-tape and peeling it away to create the 'fuzzy' lined pieces, followed by a freer style done just by hand exploring the fluidity of his own stroke.

A product of his time, the minimal painting movement of the 70s is highly reflected in Scully's initial works. We can see him start to form his own style when he breaks off into these looser gestured paintings. But aside from the stripes, his most notable contribution to art is his exploration of breaking the traditional dimensional plane of the canvas. On view you'll see many pieces have shifting heights within the work or jutted out components to create a relief like depth. Between multiple layers of paint and multiple panels in one painting, the fabric of his work, the stripe, finds new life within the walls of Lisson Gallery.

When it is so bitter cold its sometimes really hard to dress for the outdoor weather but also the overly heated indoors. For this look trust I wore a jacket on top but I am just focusing on the indoor layers. I started with our Prague Dress because I love the shape of the asymmetrical hem and racerback neckline. It is in 100% slub jersey cotton so it is a breathable fabric with a slight texture. On top I wore the Pembroke Shirt cut in a cotton viscose blend for great drape and again breathability. I wore it open and off the shoulder to avoid being so covered up. A trick to balancing a lot of layers is to show some skin. If you are not into the shoulder look then I would roll the sleeves to highlight your forearms.

And since it's winter I had to add some pants! I like rocking a faux leather legging. Often I find these come fleece lined so they are ideal for this time of year. I paired that with a leather sock boot to keep the leg line fluid creating a lengthening affect. Tons of rings of course and a bold necklace. Also I especially love wearing sunglasses when it is really windy to keep your face protected. Grabbed the Paris bag and I was all set.

Sean Scully Duane Street on view till February 1st, go check it out and let me know what you think.

LISSON GALLERY

504 W 24TH ST NY, NY 10011

TUESDAY - SATURDAY

10AM - 6PM

ON VIEW TILL FEB 1 2025

See This : Wear That | Sean Scully
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