What makes a person an artist? How do works of art come into being, and

how does a distinctive, unmistakable style develop? And how does a renowned painter view his own work?

The internationally acclaimed painter Sean Scully met with the philosopher David Carrier for several extensive interview sessions. Their conversations address these questions and many others relating to Scully’s life, work, and thinking. The result is a rich manuscript that comes close to the status of an authoritative biography.

Scully offers personal insights into his life and reveals the key sources of inspiration behind his career. He presents his own view of his entire oeuvre, of art history, and of his place within it. The text thus becomes a direct point of access to Scully’s art, allowing it to be discovered, or rediscovered, through his own words.