Mark Rothko (1903-1970) preeminent American painter is closely identified with Abstract Expressionist movement of the mid twentieth century. During his career that spanned for about 5 decades he had gone through surrealist period and was intensely involved with abstract expressionist movement. By the end of the 1940s he developed his signature style that is currently referred to as Classic Rothko: the big flat surfaces of magnificent color. The immense size of painted canvas separates viewer from the surrounding reality throwing them into overwhelming abstract of emotions. .
Rothko rejected forms and symbolism at this period, painting purely only frameless, soft, hovering blocks of transparent color. At the beginning of his classic period his colors are acid, developing warmer colors over years and by the end of his life the colors become darker, almost only black reflecting his deep depression, which was the reason of his suicide. (Adams, 955). Rothko possessed the genius of expressing emotion and thoughts in color; he is able to force a bystander to catch his verve, to see the world through his eyes. .
Beliefs .
Essence of Rothko's works is his beliefs, and his rather mysterious and highly spiritual views about art. He rejects the conception that the work of art can be created with no thought or idea. Rothko wrote: "It is widely accepted notion among painters that it does not matter what one paints as long as it is well painted. This is the essence of academism. There is no such thing as good painting about nothing. We asset that the subject is crucial and only that subject-matter is valid which is tragic and timeless." (Chipp, 545) Each painting is capturing with its deep meaning, but meaning that has no material form, and no clearly definable idea. There is no notion of a subject as one might look for. There is no subject to be pointed or interpreted. His works are not abstract definition of the realistic form, but rather realistic definition of abstract emotion.