The Colour Field Paintings by Mark Rothko
Hailed as one of the most important abstract expressionists of the 20th century, Mark Rothko is synonymous with his ‘colour field’ paintings – arrangements of rectangular panes in vivid hues. The term is applied to the work of abstract painters working in the 1950’s and 60’s, characterised by areas of flat single colour coupled with emotional, mythic or religious content and the painterly and gestural application associated with it. Later abstract movements eliminated these elements. Three expressionist painters in this genre stand out; Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman and Clyfford Still.
The sensitive canvases of Rothko continue to enchant us, their mystery and complexity giving him one of the most enduring reputations of the 20th century. What is it about his colour field paintings that are so compelling?
Skilled Colourist
As a skilled colourist, the great joy is observing how the amazing colour combinations, interact with each other, coupled with the contrast of the blurred and sharp edges. The soft, brushy borders create one mood, while the straight lines and big blocks of floating colour represent portals or planes. Friendly tones of the same colour either complement or clash against dark purple or red against brown – our emotional responses and personal preferences respond and are moved in many different ways.
By employing the same basic structure, Rothko was able to explore the infinite variations of colour. “My pictures are indeed facades (as they have once been called). Sometimes I open one door and one window or two doors and two windows. I do this only through shrewdness. There is more power in telling little than in telling all.” In saying this, he was trying to explain the opaque-ness of his paintings, with no reference points or narrative to help the viewer understand them. His intention was for a purely emotional response.
The Outsider
Rothko always felt like an outsider. Born Marcus Rokovich in Dvinsk (now Latvia) in 1903, his family moved to Portland Oregon when he was ten years old. This sudden and jarring relocation, followed by the death of his father less than a year after arriving, left him scarred for the rest of his life. It was only in 1927 when he began attending the painting salons at Milton Avery’s home that he found the community he’d been seeking. After years of ‘wandering around, bumming about and starving a bit,’ as he put it, in New York and Portland, he found himself among other Abstract Expressionists such as Barnett Newman and Adolph Gottlieb.
He had always studied alongside painting. He was an erudite researcher and was interested in philosophy and classical drama. He sought inspiration from ancient, medieval and Renaissance art and architecture – these formed the backbone of his pared down abstractions. While he was trying to push art forward, he was always looking back.
Simple Expression
1946 was a turning point for Rothko as his abstraction built to painting ‘multiforms’ – busy, colourful compositions of fuzzy shapes and blobs against a single-hued background. In a letter to the art editor of the New York Times, he and Gottlieb reveal the following about their practice, “We favour the simple expression of the complex thought. We are for the large shape because it has the impact of the unequivocal. We wish to reassert the picture plane. We are for flat forms because they destroy illusion and reveal truth.”
It is clear that these paintings are the beginning of the further abstracted paintings we all love so much today. By 1949, he has honed his technique and is settling upon his style. But his advancement didn’t end there. As a perpetual student, his travels abroad greatly influenced his work. In 1950 he took a five month tour through France and Italy with his wife Mell. There, they found churches, frescoes, paintings by the Old Masters that he so admired. He sought ‘the ultimate quest to create an artistic language that expressed unified truths.’
Championed by Guggenheim
Following a solo show curated by Peggy Guggenheim in 1945, his work was building in popularity. By 1952, MoMA included his work in an era-defining exhibition called ’15 Americans’ where he was picked up by the significant gallerists and major art dealers of the day. It was a significant honour to be asked to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale in 1958. A 1961 retrospective at MoMA cemented his place in the modern-art pantheon.
He undertook two very important colour field commissions – the first a series of paintings for Harvard University described as ‘scenes from the Easter cycle’ signifying Christ’s suffering on Good Friday, through Easter and the Resurrection. Then in 1964, he was commissioned by collectors John and Dominique de Menil for a chapel in Houston. Given his love of religious sites, he was the perfect fit. Fourteen large paintings hang along the walls of the octagonal sanctuary, ‘a window to beyond,’ says chapel historian Suna Umari, ‘You’re looking at the beyond….at the infinite.’ Dominique de Menil concurs, ‘Like all great artists who follow an inner call, he sacrificed everything superfluous to his vision. The message he had to deliver was a timeless one.’
His legacy is an important one. Only just completing the chapel paintings before being struck by an aortic aneurysm, his mental health declined. An emphysema diagnosis and separation from his wife exacerbated his decline and he sadly committed suicide in his studio in 1970. Hundreds of unfinished canvases were found there, a testament to his unwavering devotion to painting.
Join our Rothko Workshop ‘Colour Field Landscapes’
Saturday 23rd November, Pegasus Art, GL5 2AZ
10am – 4pm Attic Studio
BOOK ONLINE HERE
We’re delighted to welcome Mark Stopforth as a visiting tutor at Pegasus Art. As a professional artist and art teacher for many years, Mark has the perfect CV for this role!
This is a day workshop exploring Colour Field Painting, inspired by Mark Rothko. The term was originally applied to the work of three mid-twentieth century abstract artists Rothko, Newman and Still. Aswell as highly considered colour choices, there was also an emotional, mythic and religious content to this movement. Rothko challenged the representational utilisation of paint, opting for contemplative use of colour on giant canvases.
Working on paper (in the same way as Rothko) through expressive mark making and layering of oils, you will be exploring the technique of ‘alla prima’ – wet on wet paint. The session will be broken down into an introduction, then some quick sketches in oils, experimenting in a ragged technique with no paint brushes used. These sketches will then lead into an afternoon of painting on a larger scale using the new techniques you’ve acquired. Everything you need for this workshop is available to buy in our warehouse shop with an extra 5% discount.
About Mark
Mark is inspired by the landscapes of Constable, Claude, Cotman and Turner among others. He has exhibited around the country, notably at the Royal West of England Academy and has been painting (and writing award winning poetry) for over twenty years. He is represented by the Hope Gallery, and works exclusively in charcoal, pencil and oil. “Stopforth captures the majesty and drama of the British landscape at its wildest while expressing a profound reverence for the sublime tradition.”