the artist that changed art forever?

Summary

In the video, Brittany Broski dives into the fascinating world of Mark Rothko, an abstract expressionist artist whose work left an indelible mark on art history. Without claiming to be an art historian, Brittany introduces viewers to the story of Rothko, exploring his philosophy, life, and the profound impact of his art. Rothko, known for his color field paintings, sought to evoke deep human emotions, emphasizing that his work was incomplete without the viewer's interaction. The transcript discusses the spiritual connection Rothko aimed to establish through his art, detailing his struggles with fame, his views on the commercialization of art, and his tragic end.

Highlights

• Brittany Broski explores Mark Rothko's impact on art history, emphasizing his personal philosophy and style 🌟.
• Rothko broke away from traditional art norms, focusing on deep, abstract concepts instead of figures 🎨.
• His art, meant to reflect human emotions, is powerful and thought-provoking, often described as spiritual experiences 🌱.
• Despite acclaim, Rothko struggled with fame and the commercialization of his work, highlighting the artist's inner conflicts 😟.
• The Rothko Chapel serves as a spiritual hub, showcasing the deep introspective nature of his pieces 🖼️.

Key Takeaways

• Mark Rothko, an abstract expressionist, revolutionized art with his color field paintings, emphasizing viewer interaction 🎨.
• Rothko believed art should evoke human emotions and discuss existential themes, distancing from traditional academic approaches 📚.
• His works reflect his personal struggles and philosophical inquiries, making them emotional and relatable for viewers 🌌.
• Rothko's resistance to commercialization highlights his desire for art to remain a pure form of expression 💔.
• The Rothko Chapel exemplifies his intention to create a space for spiritual contemplation through abstract art 🙏.

Overview

Brittany Broski's exploration of Mark Rothko reveals an artist who reshaped modern art with his emotive color fields. Rothko's paintings, often misunderstood as simplistic, are deeply rooted in his philosophy of expressing the human condition. Brittany's light-hearted yet thoughtful insights invite viewers to appreciate Rothko beyond his canvases, understanding his quest to emotionally and spiritually connect with each viewer.

Rothko's journey from his origins as a Russian Jewish immigrant to becoming a central figure in abstract expressionism is detailed with an engaging story. Brittany discusses Rothko's rejection of traditional art norms, his pursuit of capturing complex emotions, and his relationship with fame and commercialism, which added layers to his introspective works. His struggles and unique approach offer a complex narrative that Brittany cleverly unpacks.

The Rothko Chapel, a highlight of the video, epitomizes Rothko's artistic vision—a space devoid of religious imagery, ready for any spiritual reflection or existential contemplation one may seek. Broski paints a picture of Rothko's legacy as one that challenges viewers to engage deeply with art and themselves, sparking both introspection and appreciation for the artist's lifelong pursuit of portraying the sublime nature of humanity.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction In this introductory chapter, the host welcomes viewers to the channel and humorously references the series 'Art History' with a playful twist on the title. The host acknowledges that they are not an art historian, but rather a curious learner sharing insights in a relatable manner. The disclaimer is made that the content should not be used for formal research purposes.
• 00:30 - 05:00: Mark Rothko's Background and Philosophy This chapter provides a light-hearted yet insightful introduction to Mark Rothko's background and philosophy. It acknowledges common perceptions of Rothko's art, such as the belief that it appears simplistic enough for a child to replicate. However, the chapter suggests that what sets Rothko apart is not the technical complexity of his work, but rather the unique philosophy, life approach, and worldview that he embodied, which a baby would inherently lack despite their capacity to mimic the style. The chapter invites readers to explore beyond the surface of Rothko's art to understand the profound perspectives that underpin it.
• 05:00 - 10:00: Rothko's Artistic Evolution The chapter begins with the speaker expressing their intent to discuss the significance of Rothko's paintings both broadly within the art community and personally. The title of their discussion is humorously titled 'Who gives a about Mark Rothko.' The speaker emphasizes their interest in Rothko and encourages the audience to share this interest as well, setting the stage for an exploration of Rothko's artistic evolution.
• 10:00 - 15:00: Color Field Paintings and Intentions This chapter discusses the life and works of Mark Rothko, an influential artist known for his Color Field paintings. Rothko, originally born as Marcus Rothkowitz in Russia in 1903, moved to Portland, Oregon, at the age of ten. His art is characterized by its search for silence and introspection, reflecting his immigrant background and personal experiences.
• 15:00 - 20:00: The Sublime and Human Experience The chapter delves into the life of an artist characterized by deep emotional and psychological struggles, common among most artists. His work is dominated by themes of human tragedy, which he often referred to as "the tragedy of Being Human." Recognized as a New York school abstractionist or abstract expressionist, his art was considered groundbreaking for his time. Despite the complexity and abstract nature of his paintings, the artist's preoccupation with human experience and existential contemplation remains evident.
• 20:00 - 30:00: Rothko's Decline and the Seagram Murals This chapter discusses artist Mark Rothko's role in the abstract expressionist movement and his decline. Rothko, born in 1903 in Russia, moved to Portland with his family in 1913. His artworks from the 60s and 70s are noted for their viewer-centric approach, suggesting that the paintings are incomplete without audience engagement. The chapter sets the stage for a deeper exploration of Rothko's work, particularly focusing on his famous Seagram Murals.
• 30:00 - 45:00: The Rothko Chapel and Final Years The chapter delves into Mark Rothko's immigration to the United States, escaping the Russian military draft for World War I, and eventually settling in Portland. His father passed away shortly after their move. A decade later, in 1923, Rothko relocated to New York City, dedicating himself to painting full-time. During the vibrant Roaring Twenties, he studied under Max Weber, absorbing influences from Cubism, Matisse, Impressionism, and German Expressionism, enriching his artistic foundation.
• 45:00 - 50:00: Rothko's Legacy In the chapter titled 'Rothko's Legacy,' the focus is on Rothko's artistic evolution. Initially, in the 1930s, his works were figure-oriented, incorporating bodies and objects, and exploring themes like surrealism. These early pieces are quite different from the abstract works he is known for today. Moving into the 1940s, against the backdrop of World War II, Rothko's reading interests shifted towards significant philosophical works, hinting at a transition in his artistic style.

the artist that changed art forever? Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 hello Broski Nation welcome back to another installment of fart history cut that I'm actually going to do that again that's about to piss me off hello brosi Nation welcome back to another episode of art history AKA fart history aka the series I do on this channel to make art history a little bit more palatable to those who would like to know more I am not an art historian I am just a student of life if you are doing actual research do not use my videos as artistic sources
• 00:30 - 01:00 this is just for fun it's to help you learn something and I've listed all my sources in the description if you'd like to go watch those videos they come from much more credible expert sources on Mark Rothco so without further Ado you probably have seen some of these paintings before you may have looked at them and thought not only could I do that but I think a literal baby child could do that in the same sort of style and you're not wrong but what a baby lacks is the philosophy and life approach work worldview that Mark Rothco
• 01:00 - 01:30 had I'm going to launch into what I think these paintings are significant for as well as the art community in general but I also have my own personal interpretation which I know that a lot of y'all like to hear me talk about what I think because look at me I look like someone who needs to share their opinion let's get into it who is Mark rtho and who gives a that's the title of the video who gives a about Mark Rothco hey I do okay and you should too but I
• 01:30 - 02:00 do know that many of those who are driven to this life are desperately searching for those pockets of [Music] Silence Mark Rothco born Marcus rockowitz was a Russian Jewish immigrant to the United States in 1903 he was born in Russia and around the age of 10 years old moved to Portland Oregon mark rth go
• 02:00 - 02:30 was a deeply troubled individual as most artists are he was prone to depressive episodes depressive mental States throughout all of his work you can see a sort of intrigue and obsession with the tragedy of Being Human as he called it he's what we would refer to today as a New York school abstractionist or just an abstract expressionist and he was very much ahead of his time with what he was doing and I know you're looking at some of these paintings and listening to me say that and being like girl can you really be serious for a minute and I
• 02:30 - 03:00 will be just hold on Rothco was ahead of his time for being on the Forefront of the abstract expressionist movement into the 60s and 7s with a Rothco work which I'm going to launch into it don't worry we'll get there with a Rothco work the viewer is just as important as the painter without the viewer these works are not complete so I'll give a short little background as to who Mark Rothco is born in 1903 in Russia and in 1913 his father moved them to Portland in the
• 03:00 - 03:30 United States because he was dodging the draft for the Russian military for what would come to be World War I and once they moved to Portland his father died a few months after actually 10 years later 1923 he moved to New York City to pursue painting full-time and in this time period so this is the 20s this is you know the Roaring 20s he studies under Max Weber he's learning about cubism and matis and the Impressionists and German expressionists and so he's really filling that jar with all of the sort of
• 03:30 - 04:00 wide array of artistic marbles so to speak his early works in the 1930s were actually figure oriented they Incorporated bodies and objects and honestly explored themes like surrealism and we get some really interesting works out of this time but it is so vastly different from what's easily recognizable today as a Rothco so now we're moving into the 1940s now remember this is wartime around this time he starts reading a lot of nii and and Carl
• 04:00 - 04:30 Young and he's exploring the unconscious mind which is different from the subconscious mind in 1943 he writes a letter to the New York Times encouraging a shift away from the academic approach to Art in this letter he says that with the rapidly changing world and the ongoing tragedies of World War II following artistic Traditions was not only irrelevant but irresponsible this is a quote from Rothco there is no such thing as good painting about nothing we favor the simple expression of complex
• 04:30 - 05:00 thoughts after this letter and this time period probably like the mid 40s he starts toy more with painting Concepts and ideas more so than figures or settings or even like surrealist dreams he's painting really complex deeply complicated Concepts that's Quite a feat around this time in the mid-40s he starts diluting his paints he's doing thin washes of paint over the canvas and horizontal and vertical lines he's
• 05:00 - 05:30 painting squares and rectangles circles amorphous shapes it's kind of just it reminds me of when you rub your eyes real hard and it's what you see uh when the light still shining on your eyes through your eyelids that's kind of what when I look at these early rothos it's like okay I get it I get it I I get it okay 1947 this is a transitionary period for Rothco the war is over and this is the time that color field paintings are born this is what Ro go are called their
• 05:30 - 06:00 color field paintings he numbered these instead of titling them they range from having anywhere from two to four different rectangles or fields of color this style would come to be easily recognized as his signature style what Rothco is attempting to do was convey the complex inner psyche of the human mind which is difficult to show and verbalize but once you see it it's almost like you intrinsically know it you you're familiar with it he stops offering explanations for his work the
• 06:00 - 06:30 only thing he says is silence is accurate he didn't want any input from his own mind or his own experience or his own ego to Cloud that sort of communication between the idea and the viewer there should be no obstacle between the painter and the idea and the idea and the viewer he's quoted as saying I'm interested only in showing human emotion specifically tragedy this was a big theme through a a lot of you know interviews with Rothco and when you
• 06:30 - 07:00 kind of get down to the basis of his his philosophy his obsession with tragedy and how the human condition is tragic humans innately look for meaning and purpose in life but what you come to find out is rothco's Works do not offer any consolation in this regard his works are not expressive they don't represent him in any way he did not wish for his artwork to be a sort of story of his life I think naturally
• 07:00 - 07:30 it kind of is especially when you see the color palette Trend towards the end of his life it gets a lot darker as his mind kind of you know spirals into the cavern of depression by and large I don't think these works really represent him they're mirrors of the soul that is a a quote from Peter seltz who was the curator of his 1961 Moma exhibit rothco's works are subjective like any art is I think of it like this if you are out in nature you're on a walk you're going somewhere and you see a
• 07:30 - 08:00 tree and you hear a bird chirping you can see it as just that of what it is that's nature you know of course a tree would be there of course you know that that's what they do that's that's what nature is it's just there but if you look at it through the lens of Against All Odds All Odds that tree is alive it's providing oxygen for me to breathe and for you to breathe the bird sits in the can I talk the bird sits in the tree and chirps it sings its song and the audacity for nature to be not only
• 08:00 - 08:30 cohesive and interconnected and natural in its process and and surviving these two things have survived Against All Odds it has the audacity to be beautiful on top of that if you take that philosophy and apply that to life you know I think that's what makes it subjective it's how you want to interpret it it's how it hits you there are some days that I'm going to pissed off mood and I don't see the singing birds and the trees as that as the miracle that they are but some days
• 08:30 - 09:00 you'll see a sunset or you'll go to the beach and you'll see just the mass roaring infinite waves and you feel so small and you see how beautiful the world is that feeling is what a lot of people feel when they look at a Rothco it is like I said a mirror of the Soul you look into a Rothco and you see yourself you see what it is to be human you see what it is to be alive rothos are described as deceptively simple
• 09:00 - 09:30 because it is I mean this is either an oil or egg based wash that he does but upon closer look you can see that trained academically studied painter that is beneath the surface there's a lot of painterly technique and skill that I think he he drew from from the early days of studying under you know some of the Masters one thing about these canvases they're massive they are hum sized for the most part um he meant for them to be proportional to the human body and they're meant to be walked up
• 09:30 - 10:00 to a Rothco should never be roped off or you know behind uh glass or anything like that they're meant to be approached and they're meant to be stared into and to lose yourself in them and to truly experience it not to look at it from afar or dissect it from an academic standpoint or even God forbid an art critic you know coming and try to take it at its face value it is meant to be a physical and spiritual connection between between the Observer and the
• 10:00 - 10:30 work the idea here is that color in its Essence should call out basic human emotion you should be called to these works because the colors are so intense and now this is where it kind of gets a little pretentious I will admit that straight off the bat okay I've kind of been I've kind of been sucking on Rothco a little bit I will admit this is where it kind of started to lose me but I'm I get it I'm here but it's like all right he described this as pure art now pure art as the elimination of all obstacles
• 10:30 - 11:00 between the painter and the idea between the idea and the Observer and if you want to Define pure art as squares on a canvas that's where you know some people get lost and trust me I understand but for a second indulge me and try to you know dive into these paintings to Rothco art wasn't meant to be a subject of academic discourse art is how we as humans for some reason it's how we
• 11:00 - 11:30 process life we have got to create to understand and process the depth of our condition as Humanity the depth of our souls and of our lives and of our purposes you know that's a very daunting scary thing if you think about it for too long if you Veer off the path of familiar daily mundane tasks and things as simple as working a job if you think outside of that bubble it's a scary thought you know it's it's floating
• 11:30 - 12:00 through the abyss of what it is to be human and I think what it is to be human is so simple but at the same time so complex and there's so many wise and things like this you know Rothco Works attempt to answer that question but only as much as you allow yourself to be able to answer it I want to take a general art history break so some of you probably will know this term you may have heard it before but maybe not in the sense of in art history I want to mention mention the idea of the sublime
• 12:00 - 12:30 in art history the sublime is a common Trope scen in 19th century romantic paintings and I don't mean romantic as in love I mean romantic as in Romanticism which was an art movement the sublime is an overwhelmingly threatening dangerous force that is whilst intimidating awe inspiring and uncontrollable in nature it's Humanity subsumed subsumed means to be under the control of something something you know like we as Humanity think we're at the
• 12:30 - 13:00 top of the food chain no the sublime nature is the sublime is greatness Beyond Comprehension Beyond calculation beyond measure now it's often shown through natural imagery through things like Giant mountain ranges or you know rolling clouds in the sky or a roaring sea things that are just greater than the human mind can really I think fully comprehend it's immense it's impetuous
• 13:00 - 13:30 it shows the fragility of human life when compared to you know the awe inspiring awesome power of nature a lot of these paintings too it'll be like I said these grander than life natural imagery and then you'll see a tiny human figure in the foreground or you'll see a tiny animal it's meant to show the scale of just how tiny we are Wanderer over the sea is a great one that's the classic example people use of the sublime or of just romantic art in general in wand above the sea we see
• 13:30 - 14:00 this Anonymous figure who really represents all of us I think with his back turned to us and he is looking out upon this incredible natural scene and it shows you the world goes on never stops forever and you are so so so small and the things in your daily life can feel so overwhelming and so all consuming but paintings like this and pieces like this remind you that that's not the case I get the feeling of the sublime when I look at Sublime
• 14:00 - 14:30 works I get that feeling when I look at rothos what he was attempting to do to sum up everything everywhere all at once sort of thing of the entire Human Experience The Human Condition on a canvas what a feat and and what a what a challenge the joy and the tragedy and everything in between he attempted to do just that and I think by and large he was very successful standing in front of a Rothco is supposed to spiritually transport you somewhere else where that
• 14:30 - 15:00 place is I don't know it's individualistic it's it's up to the person looking at the piece whatever that might be if it's grief if it's loss If It's Love if it's hope if it's despair you have to make sense of the images yourself based on your own life experiences I can't do that for you Rothco can't do that for you he has Stripped Away all markers for how the human brain processes visual information there are no figures there are no
• 15:00 - 15:30 objects there's nothing to trigger that sort of memory or Connection in your brain of something it is entirely based on your worldview for any work of art art impacts different people in different ways he wanted to create an overwhelming sensory experience when standing in front of his Works to come into contact with the undefinable he's asking you to confront human tragedy he's asking you to look at
• 15:30 - 16:00 these paintings and fall in what do you see what do you feel I imagine that process was quite freeing you know like finally getting to the point of being like this is the only way I can accurately to the best of my ability Express that concept of tragedy of being man you know of Mankind's plight and in doing so throwing all the artist IC conventions out the window you're no
• 16:00 - 16:30 longer limited to having to paint figures or things like that or having to do it accurately or as a a movement you know the confines of the movement would accept he threw all artistic conventions out the window and I think that's what makes Rothco truly incredible is he made art no one had seen before do you know how hard that is especially in the 40s 50s 60s everyone was so pretentious he's making art no one has seen before some people describe sitting in front of a Rothco as a very spiritual religious experience which I'll come back to later
• 16:30 - 17:00 in a second so we're moving into the 1950s now Rothco has secured himself as a sort of global Superstar he goes to Europe and is met with critical Acclaim really really celebrated in Europe for what he was doing and as he got more successful and famous the unhappier he got I think that's relatable for a lot of artists and it's also very isolating and it's very easy to feel secluded and misunderstood because to Rothco he was
• 17:00 - 17:30 characterized as an abstractionist but to him he was so much more he wasn't attempting to you know have these accolades and and be this famous art you know he was not in it for the money he was in it for the sake of the challenge he put in front of himself which was to accurately display and portray The Human Condition and in the art World especially when it comes to rotho and this whole era of abstractionists it was a status Syle you know people see these
• 17:30 - 18:00 paintings as Decor as a prize to be won and to be owned to him it was so much more than that and it was a slap in the face to be you know the subject of debate on watching his art turn commercial around this time he was really moved by his trips to Italy where he would visit a lot of museums a lot of churches and Cathedrals and see a lot of murals and different exhibits so let's talk about this piece this is one of his most famous this is going to be black on maroon from 1958 and if you really look at it this
• 18:00 - 18:30 painting is not black at all this painting is a range of different shades it's Blues it's Grays it's burgundies it's wine it's red but then Underneath It All it is black but what is black if not the amalgamation of all the colors I want you to try to guess the estimated value of this piece of art just throw out a number wrong $35 million this is a $35 million painting but then again when it comes to Art what are people paying
• 18:30 - 19:00 for are they paying for the notoriety are they paying to say that they own a Rothco are they paying just to be the highest bidder you know you can't trust people's Integrity or intentions when it comes to Art auctioning I mean when even when you start talking about how it's a tax right off for a lot of rich people Rothco just saw through all that and he hated it he hated it around this time the late 50s early 60s Rothco moves away from the brighter tonal pallets and he starts experence experimenting more with a darker palette with darker sadder almost
• 19:00 - 19:30 treacherous colors I would argue now this piece coupled with the Seagram murals which I'll talk about here in a second I think really showcase his declining mental state and his slow Descent of giving into that spiral of depression and having that be reflected in his works even if some art historians argue no that's not true but I think yeah you know it's kind of like Goya it's kind of like any of these artists when towards the end of their life when either a medical condition takes over or
• 19:30 - 20:00 the loss of their abilities or faculties or or just bodily control or mental control it's devastating and you see it reflected in their work I personally think that's the case with Rothco but to be revealed I kind of find comfort in the fact that 70 years ago when he was painting these this man felt the same way I do sometimes you know living in the digital age with every bit of information you could ever want want to know literally at your fingertips with
• 20:00 - 20:30 your cell phone I mean it's just constant and deafening and it's overwhelming and it's anxiety inducing and there's fear there and to have that sentiment echoed 70 years ago and to be able to look at a painting like this and feel the same way know that he was feeling the same way or anyone back then the same way that I do now it's comforting in a certain sort of sad way but my personal interpretation of this piece is it's only all consumed if you let it be and that's sort of the
• 20:30 - 21:00 central idea of what's called absurdism absurdism is a philosophy that acknowledges the inherent lack of meaning in life yet maintains a positive outlook because each one of us individually can find our own purpose and find our own meaning in our own lives and acknowledge that it's absurd everything that we live through and have to deal with and the confines of our Human Experience is absur once you accept that and let it go then
• 21:00 - 21:30 you can find real purpose and I think that's my philosophy when I look at a Roth go is you know it it brings me to that mental state of deep introspection and it makes me feel small and I get a little panicky and I get a little anxious but that's not where I end up you know I always make it out on the other side of it doesn't have to be like that now moving into the 6s I mentioned earlier the Seagram murals let's talk about those these are tea what is that I don't like living alone it scares
• 21:30 - 22:00 me sometimes the Seagram murals were originally commissioned to hang in the brand new Four Seasons which was in the seum building in New York City they wanted these paintings to be hung in the restaurant that was going to be in the Four Seasons Hotel they contacted Roth code to do a series of almost 30 canvases that were supposed to be hung around the entirety of the restaurant he accepted the commission and got to work on it and he's quoted as saying this I hope to ruin the appetite it of every son of a that ever eats in that
• 22:00 - 22:30 room period he called them Rich bastards and and he said this place was going to be somewhere where these rich bastards come to feed and show off to each other and he just resented this entire idea of his work accompanying that sort of social exchange or his work being anywhere near that type of you know the very picture of greed and and what's wrong Ong with the rich Elite so he
• 22:30 - 23:00 wanted to make these snobby restaurant goers feel as if they were trapped in a room where the walls and doors have been bricked up he wanted to induce something so anxiety inducing so terrorizing and then at a certain point he decided hold on these are way too profound to hang in such a commercial environment so he said they weren't going to be wasted he gave back the money to the people who paid him to do it and instead instead he gave the paintings to the Tate in London
• 23:00 - 23:30 where they still hang today you can go see them so let's look at these the color red is a great vehicle to convey intense human emotion whether that's love rage anger despair you can see the velocity with which he painted these paintings the edges are hazy you know there's colors coming towards you and there's colors rushing away from you if you unfocus your eyes a bit it's almost like the corners of them are moving you know they're they're moving moving around there's nothing static on the
• 23:30 - 24:00 painting The serr murals are some of his best work and some of his most interesting work too when you know the back story all right 1964 we have the Rothco Chapel now the Rothco Chapel is exactly what it sounds like this is a non- denominational place of worship it is meant to be used by the public for whatever the public needs it for they do communal meetings here they do poetry readings there's music the dolly llama's been Nelson Mandela they've given speeches it's like this really beautiful
• 24:00 - 24:30 public Chapel not in the traditional sense of what a chapel is but in the sense that a chapel is supposed to be for worship or spiritual reflection and that doesn't have to be Christian it doesn't have to be tied to any religion that can be just general spiritualism so knowing that around this time or you know in the in the 40s 50s he was reading a lot of nii and young and exploring the unconscious that coupled with there were some patrons at the time who contacted rotho uh had met him and
• 24:30 - 25:00 were big fans they commissioned this from him the patrons wanted to create a non-denominational place of worship where Contemporary Art serves as a vehicle of spiritual growth as opposed to traditional religious art so when you think of the cinee chapel when you think of religious frescos or murals so much of our history is dominated by religious imagery I mean up until what the 14th century when everything was religious art you know in at least in Europe and breaking away from that Rothco kind of
• 25:00 - 25:30 took the opposite approach okay we're in a chapel you look at the cinee Chapel ceiling and it's just maximalist religious imagery what if we did the absolute antithesis of that and made it completely dark we made it void of anything anything it's not telling you what you should be thinking about it's not telling you what you should be praying about it's not telling you anything it is a mirror you're looking at what your mind wants to see so this sits in an
• 25:30 - 26:00 octagonal room it's 14 large scale canvases and they're all black every single one of them this Chapel is meant for Spiritual contemplation there's a skylight in the ceiling there's benches in the middle it's a very personal emotional thing I read one critique saying that the color black is you know in theory it's all colors together at once and I think that allows for some interesting introspection you know to sit in there and and think about just
• 26:00 - 26:30 everything just how beautifully tragic it is to be alive and all the complexities and the depths of that that statement and how each person has their own wants and desires and passions and you know we can either alienate each other and spread vitriol and hatred or we can love each other and we can you know be interconnected as a human race and so I I I really love the concept of the Rothco Chapel because we need more of that you know it's the big tornado of
• 26:30 - 27:00 human life summed up on a canvas and that canvas happens to just be blank which I think is amazing so approaching 1970 Rothco gets a medical diagnosis and we see his eventual suicide Mark Rothco had an aortic aneurysm around this time he was a heavy drinker a heavy smoker and he was known to play around with pills he was divorced at this time from I think I think his third second or third wife and everything in rothco's
• 27:00 - 27:30 life just became constant and deafening all the time he eventually overdosed on arbitrates and uh he self- mutilated his arm and he was found dead on his kitchen floor by his Studio assistant in 1970 his last few years were very dark and like I said earlier you can kind of see that reflected in his work and some our historians would disagree whatever he felt guilty about making money from his work he felt that with an exchange for you know the complexity of what he was
• 27:30 - 28:00 creating exchanging that for money just felt a little like he was a commodity you know like like these pieces were a commodity he died with over 800 Works in his his collection unsold he was very particular about who he sold art to he had to kind of vet them I think he had a vetting process for are you buying this for the right reason you know now that he's sadly dead he can't control that as much I'm sure maybe the rotho estate does but to buy and own a Rothco he wanted to make sure that you got it
• 28:00 - 28:30 which is kind of counterintuitive because people can enjoy a painting for a multitud multitude of different reasons and him saying you know it's all about the idea and the viewer but then him saying well you're not getting it right it's kind of you know I find that a little ironic but I get it you know you don't want to let these paintings be misunderstood or be simplified or reduced down to what most people see upon first glance you know that's just some Square on a no it's not it's so much more than that so he was very
• 28:30 - 29:00 protective over who got to own his works the drama of rothco's life and works Crescendo in his death I think just troubled and deep and Sublime and all-encompassing and deafening up until the very end the impact Rothco left is I think very few have rivaled when it comes to Modern Art and what he attempted to do and was successful in doing was summing up the this you know The Human Experience and just
• 29:00 - 29:30 how daunting it is if you've never seen a Rothco in real life I would Google what's the his works are spread all throughout the world there might be one close to you I would Google and see if there's a museum near you or in the biggest city near you that you could go stand in front of one and I would be really curious to see what you guys think and let me know in the comments if you've ever stood in front of a Rothco if you've maybe passed over one before you've never really given it much thought I definitely fell into that category it's part of the reason why I I picked this topic is you know what what's going on there what am I missing
• 29:30 - 30:00 and I'm so glad I did I feel very I I related to it a lot a lot a lot a lot so thanks for listening guys and if you enjoyed this episode of my art history series I have a whole playlist go check them out some of the videos from a while ago I look like a baby in them me and Stanley have been doing these videos since 2020 and I look like a literal child not my voice is quiet and I'm like Whispering grow up it's crazy to see kind of the evolution so yeah go watch those there's the whole series thanks for watching go subscribe to my
• 30:00 - 30:30 podcast if you want to as well thank you Stanley for editing my videos and we'll see you next time thanks [Music] team