Monday, February 6, 2017

In Search of Mark Rothko


I have written here about my search for more understanding of the paintings of the artist Mark Rothko.  For me it is an interesting journey which includes tracking down his paintings in museums, reading books and watching documentaries about him and his works.  Tonight I went to Manhattan to hear his son, Christopher Rothko talk about the book of essays he wrote about his father and his father's art.  It was a wonderful presentation, and there were many illuminating things that he spoke of.  He is a very personable and I can't wait to read the book, which is called, by the way "Mark Rothko, From Inside Out."
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 7, 2017 at 8:32 AM

    I found your comments fascinating. While I enjoy the works of many painters and have some I like more than others, I've never been so drawn to one that makes me want to research the artist further. What is it about the Rothkos that pull you in? Lovely that you were able to meet his son to tell him what a big fan you are of his father's paintings.

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  2. Ken SpencerFebruary 7, 2017 at 9:36 AM

    What a wonderful question you pose! Thanks! There is a series that was on PBS, and which is available now on DVD called: "Simon Schama - The Power of Art" The series is absolutely stunning! In the episode about Mark Rothko, he goes to the Tate Modern in London, to the room with a series of paintings that were originally meant for the Four Seasons restaurant in New York, and in looking at and describing these paintings, he is so emotionally affected, that I just had to understand why. I normally respond to art and photography emotionally, so trying an intellectual approach is something that I have never done. But in seeing his reaction, I realized that I wanted to understand why his reaction was so powerful, and yet the paintings didn't affect me very much. I needed to understand why. So that's why I set off on this quest. The good news is that the works are slowly becoming more meaningful to me as I understand more.

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  3. AnonymousFebruary 8, 2017 at 12:06 PM

    Thanks for your explanation. How wonderful to want to understand why we feel the way we do about anything. Kudos on your self-exploration.

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