Art Expert Unremitting Failure Squints at: Mark Rothko!

It is a great truism that the defining characteristic of modern art is that it looks just as good upside down.  Or sideways for that matter.  Or with the painted surface facing the wall.  Like the Divine Ms. Ross once sang,

Upside down
Boy, you turn me
Inside out
And round and round

Mark Rothko was probably the greatest practitioner of the "I don't give a fuck which end is up" school of painting.  Influenced by Nietzsche, the massive "multiforms" of Rothko's "signature period" are designed to intimidate the viewer into emptying his pockets, a trait that led critic Harold Rosenberg to dub them "wall muggings." 

In 1968 serious health problems led Rothko's physician to recommend that he limit himself to paintings no more than a yard in height.  Unfortunately, Rothko thought he was referring to the yard behind his house.  In 1970 he committed suicide but continued to paint until 1975.  In our opinion reading about the philosophical concerns and deep thinking that went into Rothko's paintings is very annoying.  All we see are fields of color big enough to hunt pink elephants in.

 

Comments

[Jeffers]

Rothko! Rothko! Rothko!

I love this painting. I also have a colonoscopy scheduled for tomorrow & its bringing to mind terrible things. Terrible.

My kingdom for a plate of grass!

[kfc]

Maybe he didn't know which end is up. Funny, I was trying to describe his work to someone just yesterday.

[UF MIke]

Yeah, I thought it looked much better upside down. Man, don't worry so much. You're going to whoop on the graves of your enemies wearing an ancient greybeard of hoary wisdom and hairy solemnity. Of course I would worry too except I already know how I'm going to die. Cancer of the whining organs.

[(S)wine]

eeez bool-shits this Rothko junks!

you should think about doing an obit
on Rauschenberg--UF stylee.

[Ben]

Rothko RAWCKS!

[karoline]

dreamy, halos, halos, halos

[mordantmouth]

Just shows what painting w/o your eyeglasses will get you.