"Backs and Fronts" (1981) by Sean Scully is a monumental work that marked a pivotal moment in the artist's career and in the broader landscape of abstract painting. This piece is particularly significant for several reasons, reflecting Scully's deep engagement with the materiality of painting, his evolution away from Minimalism, and his exploration of human and emotional elements within abstract art.

By the late 1970s and early 1980s, Scully was grappling with the dominant Minimalist movement in New York, seeking ways to reintroduce more human elements into his art. His travels to Morocco and Mexico during this period were crucial, influencing his approach to color, texture, and composition. Scully sought to re-engage with aspects of painting he felt were missing in Minimalism—its capacity for metaphor, spirituality, poetry, and emotional depth​ (Wikipedia)​.

"Backs and Fronts" consists of 11 panels featuring colored stripes that seem to move optically across the canvas in different directions, akin to a musical score. This painting was inspired, in part, by Picasso's "Three Musicians" (1921), and it represents a significant departure from the hard-edged precision of tape lines to a more expressive, freehand application of paint. This shift towards visible brushstrokes and a more tactile approach to painting surfaces was a statement against the impersonal aesthetics of Minimalism, aiming to bring back the emotional and referential potential of abstract art​ (DailyArt Magazine)​.

The work gained international recognition when it was exhibited at New York's PS1 Museum of Modern Art, signaling Scully's confidence in deviating from Minimalist norms. The piece was seen as breaking through the "logjam" of American minimalist painting, thanks to its innovative use of color, texture, and form, and its success helped to establish Scully's reputation on the global art stage​ (DailyArt Magazine)​​ (Wikipedia)​.

In "Backs and Fronts," and throughout his career, Scully has been interested in the interplay between order and chaos, the material and the spiritual, the personal and the universal. His technique of layering, the emotive power of his color palette, and the physicality of his brushwork all contribute to the depth and complexity of this work, making it a standout piece in his oeuvre and a significant contribution to the field of abstract painting.