‘Sean Scully, 1970’ and the John Moores Painting Prize at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

Installation view of ‘Sean Scully, 1970’ at the Walker Art Gallery, 2018

There’s a surprising intensity, clarity and dexterity to ‘Sean Scully 1970’, currently showing at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. This is largely down to the colour: some ingenious and bizarre couplings of primaries and secondaries shine strangely from within a kind of poetic rigour-in-repetition that gives Bridget Riley and Kenneth Noland a run for their money. All this, mixed with an unashamedly high-velocity illusionism. Think view from the window of a speeding train crossing the Tyne on the King Edward VII Bridge, and the opening bars to the ‘Get Carter’ soundtrack. There’s poetry in them there lattice steelworks; and perhaps just a hint of that melancholy North Eastern light.

Scully’s assured early works stand in interesting contrast to the very uneven, predictably random John Moore’s Painting Prize just across the hall. Predictably random? Is that even possible? Instantloveland isn’t sure, but that’s how it feels.

‘Sean Scully 1970’ runs until 14th Oct 2018, and the John Moores Painting Prize 2018 runs until 18th Nov 2018; both at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool.

Check out this brooding assassin! Oh, and there’s Michael Caine as well…