October 14, 2004
New Work by Rothko: A Book of Writings
A long-lost manuscript by Mark Rothko helps illuminate the philosophical underpinnings of Color Field paintings, the artist’s greatest breakthrough.Christopher Rothko was only 6 when his famous father, the painter Mark Rothko, committed suicide in 1970. “I have a number of memories, but I can count them on my various fingers and toes, and strangely enough it’s his voice that sticks with me,” he said.
Now Mr. Rothko has found a way to channel his father’s voice not only for himself but also for the public, in the process resurrecting a long-lost manuscript by Mark Rothko that helps illuminate the philosophical underpinnings of Color Field paintings, the artist’s greatest breakthrough.
This month Yale University Press will publish those writings in a deceptively slender volume titled “The Artist’s Reality: Philosophies of Art,” the only book by Mark Rothko. In it, he muses on the history of art and the artist’s place and function in the world. He also begins to explore the use of color, light and space in search of “an ultimate unity.”
