Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover: Mark Rothko

Though he refused to be attached to any specific labels, Mark Rothko is considered an iconic artist in the Color field genre and regarded as an Abstract Expressionist. Rothko was of Russian Jewish descent and emigrated to the United States of America in his youth.

I saw my first Rothko painting in my A.P. Art History textbook during the spring of my freshman year in '14. The first thoughts in my mind were I could easily do that and Why is that so famous? Of course, I learned the significance of the radical abstract art movements, and though I was impressed by the act itself, Rothko's art just didn't interest me at all. 

Later that year, I had to teach my class about three different artists (Rothko was one of them). Mark Rothko lived a tough life and struggled with looming depression. (I would encourage you to read about it if you enjoy biographies. Really a rich story.) After this, I was very very intrigued by him as a person, but still just wasn't into his art. 

Late April included an APAH and AP Studio Art day trip to Chicago to visit the Art Institute of Chicago, see the Blue Man Group (because performance art, of course), and spend some time downtown. Before anything, I'd like to share that seeing works in person is comparable to seeing some amazing musicians live in concert; viewing art online or on paper is a different experience than seeing the original in person. I was just walking through the floor when I turned the corner and saw it. I can't remember exactly which piece it was, but there were hues of cool blue and gray. The canvas was fairly large and the piece just sucked you in. It created an atmosphere, like storm clouds swirling around you. Any prior judgments disappeared right there, right then. When viewing it, I felt despair, emptiness, confusion.The painting did not capture a scene, but rather externalized emotion on a canvas, exactly how Rothko intended. He once said:

“I'm not an abstractionist. I'm not interested in the relationship of color or form or anything else. I'm interested only in expressing basic human emotions: tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on.” 

I'd say he was always successful in doing so.