WASHINGTON, DC.- More than any other artist of his generation, Sean Scully (born 1945) combines the formal traditions of European painting, the brooding tones of Velasquez and Manet and the spectacular colors and brushwork of van Gogh and Matisse, with the distinctly American abstract tradition of Rothko and Pollock. Underlying all of Scully's work has been a commitment to pure abstraction: to its emotional power, its storytelling potential, and, above all, its capacity to convey light. This October, The Phillips Collection, a museum with a rich history of engagement with contemporary artists, will present the first U.S. museum exhibition of Scully's Wall of Light, the artist's most important series to date. Organized by the Phillips, Sean Scully: Wall of Light will premiere on October 22, 2005 and remain on view until January 8, 2006. The exhibition then will travel to the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Scully is one of the most admired painters working in the abstract style. He works and exhibits throughout the world, with active studios in the United States, Spain, and Germany. During the next two years, in addition to the Wall of Light venues, Scully has exhibitions slated for museums and galleries in Madrid, Munich, New York, Barcelona, Rome, and elsewhere. Sean Scully: Wall of Light is made possible by the global financial services firm UBS.

The series was inspired by a trip to Mexico more than 20 years ago; it builds from the artist.s memory of light and shadow playing on ancient Mayan ruins, and his exploration of surface texture and abstract forms evokes a range of emotional and narrative themes. Featuring some 40 paintings, this exhibition allows for a fresh consideration of this important artist and an appreciation for his process of developing themes over many years.

In addition, the Phillips has organized an installation of Scully.s early paintings, pastels, watercolors, and photographs to place the large-scale Wall of Light paintings in a larger context and demonstrate Scully.s great proficiency in varied media. A selection of the artist.s pattern paintings and minimalist works from the 1970s and inset and stripe paintings from the 1980s and early 1990s represent the wide range of Scully.s work. Works featured include Red and Red (1986), acquired by the Phillips in 1986 and the second of the artist.s paintings to enter a museum collection, and Because of the Other (1997), a transitional work in the artist.s oeuvre that sets the stage for the Wall of Light series.