Rothko

Author(s)

Bibliographic Information

Rothko

edited by Achim Borchardt-Hume ; with contributions by Briony Fer ... [et al.]

Tate, 2008

  • : hbk
  • : pbk

Other Title

Rothko : the late series

Available at  / 8 libraries

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Note

Exhibition catalogue

Catalogue of an exhibition held at Tate Modern, London, 26 September, 2008-1 February, 2009; Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art, Sakura, 21 February-14 June, 2009

Includes bibliographical reference (p. 241-248) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

: pbk ISBN 9781854377371

Description

Mark Rothko (1903-70) is widely seen as one of the greatest painters of the 20th century and was a leading figure in the Abstract Expressionist movement. In the late 1960s, he donated nine large-scale paintings to Tate on the condition that henceforward these would be shown as a unified immersive environment never to be mixed with work by other artists. The Rothko Room in its various incarnations has been one of the highlights of Tate's collection for the past thirty-five years.As is well known, the paintings in The Rothko Room formed part of a larger series known as The Seagram Murals. These were originally intended for the Four Seasons restaurant in the Seagram Building in Manhattan, a commission from which Rothko famously withdrew, irritated, according to legend, that his paintings would be lowered to the status of wallpaper for rich diners. So far the question has never been asked: if the restaurant had space for 10 paintings, why did Rothko paint 30 in the series?For the first time, the paintings from The Rothko Room are examined together with others from the series, from Kawamura Memorial Art museum, the National Gallery of Art, Washington, the Rothko Estate and other private collections. New research by an international team of experts will reveal previously unknown detail about their manufacture. They will be additionally re-contextualised by being placed alongside large-scale gouaches from the Rothko family collection and the Black on Grey paintings from the late 1960s, which continue to challenge the standard presentation of Rothko as a painter focused primarily on the effect of colour. Liberated from the straight-jacket of their legendary status, the Seagram paintings can finally be seen as works in their own right, central to a reconsideration of Rothko's late career, which in the Black on Grey paintings, his final series and the first to be created without a commission, was moving towards a tougher, more contemporary sensibility.
Volume

: hbk ISBN 9781854377883

Description

Mark Rothko (1903-70), a leading figure in the Abstract Expressionist movement, is widely seen as one of the greatest painters of the 20th century. His paintings are famed for the intense, emotional responses they elicit from viewers. Shortly before his death, he donated nine large-scale works to Tate on the condition that they would always hang together, in their own space, separate from the work of other artists. This is how "The Rothko Room", which in its various incarnations has been one of the highlights of Tate's collection ever since, was born.These paintings form part of a larger series known as "The Seagram Murals", originally intended for the Four Seasons restaurant in Manhattan. Rothko famously withdrew from this commission, irritated, according to legend, that his paintings would be lowered to the status of wallpaper for rich diners. So far the question has never been asked: if the restaurant had space for 10 paintings, why did Rothko paint 30 that clearly belong to the same series? Now Tate is reuniting their own Seagram paintings with paintings from the Kawamura Museum in Japan and the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. Liberated from the straightjacket of their legendary status, they can finally be seen as works in their own right, central to a reconsideration of Rothko's late career.This book intends to look beyond the myths surrounding Rothko and calls for a major reassessment of his later works. Leading international critics, including Bryony Fer, David Anfam and Morgan Thomas, explore the late series, including the "Black on Grey Paintings", as well as large-scale works on paper from the Rothko family private collection, challenging the standard presentation of Rothko as a painter focused primarily on the effect of colour. Much has been made of the almost mystical 'aura' of Rothko's paintings. New research by an international team of experts will reveal previously unknown detail about their manufacture and examine the effect of time on their appearance today. Three timelines will provide a framework for viewing Rothko's career alongside development in American art and politics, from 1958-1970.

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