Beyond the Line: Stefan Gierowski and Sean Scully From Finite to Infinite, From Physics to Metaphysics
The Stefan Gierowski Foundation presents Beyond the Line: From Finite to Infinite, From Physics to Metaphysics, a landmark exhibition that brings together the works of two masters of abstract art: Stefan Gierowski (1925-2022) and Sean Scully (b. 1945). The exhibition, curated by Joachim Pissarro, will showcase 60 paintings, offering a deep exploration of the connections and parallel trajectories between these visionary artists.
Despite being born two decades apart, their artistic activities have overlapped for six decades. Over this time, each artist has developed distinct approaches to abstraction that diverge from the mainstream movement, which originated in Russia and spread as far as the USA – superpowers that dominated the history of the 20th century, towards which neither artist felt the slightest allegiance. Instead, their works are replete with European sensibilities and reflect parallel artistic developments, through notable visual affinities. Overall, what strikes us as we look at the art and biographies of eachartist is a staunch sense of independence (‘resistance’ is a term treasured by both artists in different contexts), and a refusal to give in to mainstream dominant groups or movements.
The exhibition provides a rare opportunity to explore the early and late phases of each artist’s career. Stefan Gierowski, a leading figure in the Polish avant-garde, presents a selection of his rare early figurative works alongside his later, more widely recognised abstract compositions. Gierowski’s journey from figurative art to abstraction was marked by a rigorous exploration of space, colour, contrast, line, and light. The quasi-infinite number of possibilities yielded within the artist’s compositional arrangements in his oeuvre echoes the infinity he strove to conjure up. Thus, the fundamental truths he sought to reveal through the limitless methods he employed, formed the foundation of a complex visual language, securing his position as a leading figure of the Polish avant- garde within the second half of the 20th century.
Sean Scully’s contribution to the exhibition includes a wide selection of his works. Apart from his idiosyncratic motif that he developed and remained loyal to since 1981, it will include his rare 1970s pieces that draw on the illusionistic qualities of Op art and more recent works that fuse figuration and abstraction. Emerging in the 1960s, Scully found himself at odds with the prevailing movements of the time, such as Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism. Rejecting these "isms" for their limitations, Scully instead drew upon European traditions to develop a new language of abstraction. His signature use of blocks or bricks of paint, each seemingly similar yet inherently unique, challenges the viewer to see beyond the surface and engage with the deeper emotional and philosophical dimensions of his work.
Beyond the Line celebrates the "Otherness" that defines both artists—a quality rooted in their loyalty to their aesthetic visions and their refusal to conform to fleeting trends. Through their work, Gierowski and Scully have not only inherited but transformed the legacy of abstraction, breathing new life into this modernist idiom. The exhibition highlights how these two visionary thinkers have propelled abstract art to new thresholds and beyond, offering audiences a unique opportunity to engage with the enduring impact of their contributions.
