Sean Scully is squaring up to doubters

Sean Scully is the subject of the most significant exhibition in Cork for many years. Not surprisingly, he’s dismissive about the recent controversy about his work on RTÉ’s Liveline, writes Alan O’Riordan.

THERE’S a lot of Sean Scully to be seen in Ireland as the artist marks his 70th birthday at the end of this month. A show in Cork’s Crawford Gallery that features early, rarely seen, works by the artist opens on Friday. In Dublin, there’s also an exhibition currently on at the National Gallery, and a selection of new works will be seen at the Kerlin Gallery next month.

It’s the kind of exposure most living artists can only dream of and, perhaps, that’s what ruffled some feathers locally. Radio show Liveline was the forum for some dispute about the devotion of so much space in the National Gallery to Scully, with Robert Ballagh, Mannix Flynn and even a tour guide weighing in.