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"a poet of both truth and beauty"
The Times Literary Supplement
OUT NOW:
THE ART OF COLOUR:
THE HISTORY OF ART IN 39 PIGMENTS
YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 16 MAY 2023
THAMES & HUDSON, 27 APRIL 2023
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Colours have minds of their own. They keep secrets and hide shady pasts. Every colour we encounter in a great work of art, from the ultramarine that Johannes Vermeer wove into the turban of his Girl with a Pearl Earring to the volatile vermillion that inflames the fiery sky of Edvard Munch's The Scream, brings with it an extraordinary backstory. These histories unlock surprising layers in masterpieces we thought we knew by heart.
ALSO OUT:
This unique and intimate book collects hours of conversations between artist Sean Scully and his friend, art critic Kelly Grovier. Discussing everything from his tough childhood in London and homelessness in Dublin to his relationship to past masters such as Rembrandt and Rothko, ON THE LINE is an incredible account of a world-renowned artist, who never minces his words
The Arts Society
ON THE LINE: CONVERSATIONS WITH SEAN SCULLY
(THAMES & HUDSON, AUTUMN 2021)
Sean and I discuss our new book
ON THE LINE: CONVERSATIONS WITH SEAN SCULLY
Welcome! My many books on art include the internationally best-selling titles 100 Works of Art That Will Define Our Age and A New Way of Seeing: The History of Art in 57 Works, both published by Thames & Hudson. I am the author of three collections of poetry published by Carcanet Press.
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and was educated at UCLA and Oxford University, where I earned my doctorate. I am a feature writer for BBC Culture and my writing on art appears regularly in publications such as Wired magazine, The Sunday Times, The Observer, The Independent, the RA Magazine and Art Quarterly.
My other books
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Translations
My books have been translated into many languages, including Chinese, Dutch, German, Korean, Russian, and Turkish. Here are some recent translations:
POETRY ARCHIVE
Please click below to hear me read a selection of my poems
BBC CULTURE
I have written hundreds of articles for BBC Culture, including several series on the subjects of colour in art, how feelings are depicted in paintings and sculptures, the underappreciated achievement of women in art history, and how small and often overlooked details can change our understanding of masterpieces from antiquity to the present. Please click on the tiles below to read more.
Exhibition Catalogues &
Artist Monographs
I have edited and contributed to many books about artists and their work, including:
contact me
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