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+Mark Rothko
July 26, 2002Dear Artist,
After tramping around in the Rockies I was just getting out of a much needed motel
bathtub and this anonymous email popped up: "How come you're always quoting dead
artists like Wyeth and Sargent and you never quote the really great ones like Rauschenberg
and Stella and Mark Rothko?"
Fair enough. Let's take Rothko. He's quoted at least ten times in the Resource of Art
Quotations. He's been called the sublime painter of the twentieth century. Noted for his
large scale soft-edged colour field paintings, his other claim to fame was his perennially
toxic lifestyle and a lifetime of disgruntlement. Dealer profiteering and perceived
maltreatment continued even after his suicide in 1970. Mark Rothko will never make it as
the poster kid for the happy artist.
The jury is still out on his creative legacy, of course. Another hundred years may be
useful. But what we as artists might profit by are thoughts he might have expressed on the
art process, or tips he might have given. We note, for example, "I'm not interested
in relationships of colour or form or anything else." And "I don't express
myself in my paintings. I express my not-self." And also, perhaps more valuably:
"It is our function as artists to make the spectator see the world our way--not his
way." But for those of us who are trying to paint mountains or children or pots of
geraniums, we tend to run out of interest in a guy like Rothko because we don't see enough
complexity in his actual work. While his brain may have been complex, and perhaps his
sensibilities, these factors are not always evident. You might just say he's in a
different league, a different department of art--as different as night and day to others
who also call themselves painters. That these differences exist is one of the enduring
beauties of our game.
Mark Rothko was a deeply disturbed guy; he was frustrated, angry, suspicious, and like
a few in all walks of life, spent himself in self-loathing. To "anonymous," who
helped me think of these things while I was removing my minor mountain pestilence, I say
thank you, there's value in knowing him.
Best regards,
Robert
PS: "There is no such thing as a good painting about nothing." (Mark Rothko)
Esoterica: We all do what we can with the abilities we are given. The valuable message
is to continue to press ourselves in that which we believe. In art we know we can sleep
soundly in the knowledge that the jury will always be deliberating. "Art is an
adventure into an unknown world, which can be explored only by those willing to take
risks." (Mark Rothko, 1903-1970)
The following are selected correspondence arising from the above and other letters.
Thanks for writing rgenn@saraphina.com |
+Painting the feeling
Yes, he was an embodiment of the "tortured artist" in the
style of Jackson Pollock etc. Part of his problem could have been the hostility that
greeted much of his work. Yes, it is difficult to appreciate work that  doesn't display an obvious difficulty of technique, but
work doesn't have to be representational to be legitimate. In order to judge
whether people can paint, there are other criteria than the ability to copy something
skilfully. A representational painting is not successful if it doesn't have its basic
abstract ducks in a row. That is scale, composition, colour combinations, line, or the
decision to create depth or flatness, all used to create the desired effect. Rothko
eliminated everything except composition and colour. His compositions were
combinations of squares and rectangles suggesting equilibrium and stability. His colours
were combinations that produce glow. Rothko's glowing squares suggest some sort of
immoveable spirit. It's as if you tried to paint the feeling you get from looking at
the sun.Liz Schamehorn, Washago, ON, Canada schamehornelizabeth@hotmail.com |
+Spiritual guide
Of all the people you could possibly quote and defend, I couldn't
believe it was Mark Rothko. I love to paint, to play with colors on my brush, to see them
make shapes and designs. On a scale from 1 to 10, no matter how I practiced with paint I
rated about point 8 on the scale. My desire to use paint and color were off the charts,
but my technical talent was truly lacking. I was frustrated beyond belief and am to this
day struggling with the fact that my talent lags far behind my heart's desire. One night
however, I spent hours on the internet almost in prayer. "What is my voice, my own
style, my true expression?" I searched hundreds of famous painters and then I hit the
abstract artists. I clicked on image after image, artist after artist. Then, I saw my
artist! I saw my art! I saw who I would be destined to become if I stuck to it and
persisted. I saw a painting by Mark Rothko. Simple. Deep. Provocative. Not a single human
face, not a single landscape or tree, none of these I would ever be able to paint from
scratch and ever have them look like anything. This man hit my spirit and my core, my
brother, my guide, my mentor. I want to be like Mark. It's the reason I even consider a
pursuit in art. Had it not been for stumbling upon his work, I would have let my painting
go. I would have put down my brush.Suzette Boulais zetter3@insightbb.com |
+Beauty is
the promise of happiness
Art should make people's lives better, especially the
artist's. Elitism, as exhibited by much of the  self-absorbed art world, does nothing to further people's understanding
and enjoyment, rather it builds a wall. The 60's, in my opinion, was the betrayal of
beauty and integrity in painting. It is still going on. Why? As Henri Rousseau said:
"Beauty is the promise of happiness."Todd
Plough, NY, USA tsawmill@localnet.com |
+Understanding differences
Rather than always dissecting the work and lives of people like Sargent, it is a relief to
hear you discussing an artist like Rothko, no matter what your personal bias. In reading
your archives, it's like listening to a music expert discussing pop and rock music, and
completely ignoring jazz. There is a downside to this approach, though. You wouldn't speak
Russian in these letters because you don't understand it. I'm not sure you understand art
that's not mountains, children and pots of geraniums, either. Not only that, I'm not
convinced that a person's psychological makeup has anything to do with their talent and
output, although I doubt that the domestically self-satisfied, successful amongst little
old ladies, smug type has any idea what true creative angst and breakthrough are all
about. In spite of all this, it's great to hear about someone who strikes a different
note from those millions of painters of mountains.Emma Stubbs, Santa Ana, CA, USA twigvert@hotmail.com |
+Rothko chapel
Talking about Mark Rothko brings up the Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas. I used to live in
Houston, and visited the chapel from time to time, and now I go there every time I am in
town. For those who have never been there, the chapel is set in a park-like area, with a
pool and at least one David Smith sculpture. It is a simple brick building. When you
enter, there are plain wooden benches to sit on, and it is silent. There is a  skylight in the center of the ceiling, and it sheds enough light to
see the paintings, which are gigantic, and deep blue-violet, blue, and black. There are
different proportions of rectangles in the canvases, as well as in the internal shapes.
Sitting there one realizes the enormity and mystery of the universe that surrounds us. It
is a good place to meditate on life, death and mystery, and to feel God (by any
name), or the spirit of the universe. After I leave, the experience of sitting in the
chapel stays with me, giving me a sense of peace. I know Rothko himself was not happy, but
the energy level of these paintings is deep and full of wondrous vibrating music.Ellen
McCormick Martens, North Tonawanda, NY, USA efmarte@attglobal.net |
+Living and dying example
Rothko was a living and dying example defining that sort of artist as one who must suffer
to produce great art. Like great wines, the grapes had to suffer from extremes of heat and
cold and on rolling hills to be denied enough water in order to produce the best flavors.
And then, again, the resultant wine must be imbibed at just the right time with just the
right ambience. Like, perhaps, Rothko. His entire body of work defines Rothko, perhaps
more than any other 20th century abstractionist, except Pollock. Just one painting is
enough for the practiced eye, but the body of work erases any doubt of his having earned
his place in the pantheon. Stella and Rauschenberg strain for their acceptance and leave
me cold.Rothko did not produce for us to like his art; it was a shimmering gift for us
to figure out.
Doran William Cannon, California, USA dwc@writingacademy.com |
+Wisdom from the troubled
Your letter causes this thought in me: We live in a culture that
seeks wisdom not from the serene among us but from the troubled. Now I understand why the
current state of the arts disturbs me. I have been  obediently
thinking of our contemporary famous artists as accomplished in ways I don't quite get.
Especially the disgruntled ones, the proponents of the 'Garbage School of Art', etc. Now I
see I've been participating in the adulation of the complainers. I like to peek around the
edges of our beliefs as much as possible. I'll look at modern work a bit more sceptically
now.Kitty Wallis, Portland, Oregon, USA walliscorp@yahoo.com |
+The Four Agreements
I am surprised by the way some people take your letters as a
personal attack and lash out with such vehemence. What seems consistent is that anger
often arises when one takes a situation personally even though it was totally objective in
nature. If we can realize that our own identification, baggage and sensitive issues are
really causing us to take offense, we can begin to dispel the cause for anger. Anger can
use a lot of energy and perpetuate our patterns, difficulties or discomforts.A book
called The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz offers wisdom on this
topic.
The four agreements are:
1. Be impeccable with your word.
2. Don't take anything personally.
3. Don't make assumptions.
4. Always do your best.
Anonymous
+Not art
You are sometimes too diplomatic in your newsletters. Rothko's work does not
deserve to be titled "art". It is in the same category as the Tate Gallery's
recent ridiculous award to the "lights going on and going off" by the
Scotsman who could not even articulate what his installation exhibit was. We have been too
soft on trash like this for too long. The Tate is run by posturing fools who, by
pretending to understand the deep psychological significance of these "deep" works,
only promote the production of more work of the same ridiculous nature. Every time
Sothebys sells a formless "masterpiece" like Rothko's work, and every time some
benighted gallery purchases a work which some child could have done - and for some
exorbitant price - it belittles the work of many others - including you and me.
Barrie Chadwick barriechadwick@telus.net |
+Rothko bashing
I expected more tolerance and open mindedness from you. I well
remember, as an art student in London UK,  standing amazed
before those great canvases of colour. They challenged me to push my own limits, to
explore colour and optic reactions created by colour spaces. I have long believed an
artist's personal life should be judged apart and separate from the work produced. Would
we not have had the same dismissive reaction to Van Gogh, the madman? Many works may not
be my choice to have in my living space but nonetheless I value them for the new
perspective they bring, the thoughts they provoke and the insights to modern life.Jo Scott-B joscottb@hotmail.com |
+Overdone and pointless
I have just been reading the replies to "Two Spirits" Please, please, can we not
have this marvelously diverse letter plunge into that endless carnage of the botanical
painters versus the installation merchants? It is just too overdone and pointless. There
was an exhibition not so long ago in London made up of corpses - I think - I personally do
not wish to see this whether people display it as art or not. So I did not go. But I still
don't think it is my business to engage in rabid deployment of the masses to go and lynch
the guy. Let the Justice Department worry about where he got his material.Olinda
Everett, Sao Paulo, Brazil olindaeverett@hotmail.com
þ
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Please address your letters to rgenn@saraphina.com
You may be interested to know that artists from every state in the USA, every province
in Canada, and at least 100 countries worldwide have visited these pages since January 1,
2002
That includes Marilyn Lemon mlemon@telus.net who
writes: "I find Rothko's work incredibly complex and interesting. Far more
interesting than yet another pot of geraniums. I guess you could write me off as just
another deeply disturbed guy."
Lake O'Hara, B. C. Canada |
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