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Rothko is one of those artists whose art's fame far exceeds his own. In case
you're have problems placing him: He's the one who does those horizontally layered colour fields.
Yeah, him.
Those
colour fields have become synonymous with abstract expressionism, but that's all I can say about them with any degree of certainty.
Rothko's works are as accessible as when viewed individually as they are baffling when you stand surrounded by twelve
of them.
When confronted with an entire room full of large-scale canvases with two or three colours each, it becomes impossible
to dismiss them es merely decorative.
I couldn't look away, but three days later I still can't say why.
But I'm
getting ahead of myself.
The retrospective begins, as Rothko did himself, with figurative artwork. From Untitled (crucifixion)
to Untitled (study for Social Securities building mural), they are all there.
The figures soon change, become less
distinguishable and - after a short visit to Surrealism - we end up with abstract shapes. Rothko's earlier abstract art seems
slap-dash at first sight, but after a view minutes you realize that they are anything but. They are carefully thought out,
crafted and planned in such a way that the immediacy and movement is never lost.
A display of Rothko's sketchbooks
is the possibly most engaging part of the exhibition. The visitor gets to study photos of each page via a touchscreen and
they not only provide page after page of Rothko's thoughts and notes on the meaning of art, painting and shape , but also
give an insight into how far the artist develops each painting from the first idea, via the sketch to the finished canvas
.
Maybe that is the exact quality that makes Rothko's art so fascinating - and while I realize I'll make the artist froth
at the mouth in his grave, I'll state it anyways -: He's the greatest doodler of them all.
Even if you don't feel like
taking a plunge in the deep end of the abstract expressionism pool, this exhibition will hold its delights. All you have to
do is this:
First, walk into the middle of the big exhibition room (look determined and wise), then spin.
Not only
will this allow you to make interesting observations on the nature of optics, but I promise you it will catch on and there
is no more sublime pleasure in this world than watching posh twats twirl.
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