Untitled Mark Rothko paintings 1960’s
Because I am not sure which of Mark Rothko’s paintings Bobbi Katz’s poem is about I chose the one pictured on the page of the poem to discuss (URL above). Occasionally, I may refer to his style, because he has over 800 paintings and I am not exactly sure which “Untitled” image is which. With his collection http://www.markrothko.org/paintings/ the style will be easy to reference, I hope. Mark Rothko’s “Untitled” paintings were created in the 1960’s. In this picture, which I believe was created in 1968, he uses three colors: yellow, red, and orange. Rothko used oil paint to create his large paintings (see above for a size reference). In this “Untitled” painting there are two rectangles. The yellow rectangle is above the red rectangle. There is an orange border around both of them. The rectangles do not have a sharp edge. The edges are fuzzy and there is no intention to make them straight rectangles. This painting is considered to be an instance of abstract expressionism--a movement that started as a way for artists to express themselves covertly about politics after World War II. Abstract expressionism seeks to come from the subconscious with a creative, natural, free quality to it. Many other famous artists came from this time, such as Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, Jasper Johns, Willem de Kooning, etc. Rothko created this and his other paintings by working quickly. He layered paint on thick which created a rough textural quality. His shapes, often rectangles, were large and simplified. His geometric rectangles were arranged vertically in this picture with bright, hot colors. The shapes are not overlapped. Because all three colors he used were hot colors, they almost equally stand out. Because yellow is a tint, it draws the eye first. Next, the eye travels to the red, as it’s darker and contrasts with the yellow. The orange has the middle value and is the least noticeable. He softened the borders of his paintings and often let the canvas show through along his edges. Spatially he filled the canvas with the two shapes and there is little depth. The shapes are balanced. In this particular painting, the unclear transition from the yellow to the red rectangle makes it look like Rothko may have just mixed the two primary colors together to make the orange border color. This reflects the process of quick painting and abstract impressionistic qualities. I think the artist is trying to eliminate barriers between himself and his painting which is why there is little depth. I also think Rothko is imposing simplicity on his ideas in part because of the art movement at the time (abstract expressionism), but also because he liked to make his own rules and not follow anyone else’s. I base this on my knowledge of Mark Rothko, the artist. His mass production of large paintings that towered over his viewers makes a bold statement about their, or his importance. They will be seen. They will not be ignored. They will not be bound by rules or religion or parental influence or overbearing authority figures, which are all things that he struggled with in his life. He felt his voice was suppressed and the views and beliefs of others were forced upon him in punitive ways. This aspect of Rothko’s life will resonate with my students who are affected by varying degrees of trauma and at the age level where challenging authority is a healthy part of development.
For the second poem in my unit, I will ask students to independently read a poem titled “Early Sunday Morning” by John Stone. I will use the close reading techniques used above under “Reading Poetry.”
Copy and paste this URL in your browser to access the poem and the painting: http://english.emory.edu/classes/paintings&poems/sunday.html
This poem is about Edward Hopper’s painting “Early Sunday Morning.” I chose this painting because 82% of my students live in the Hill District, a neighborhood in the city of Pittsburgh. This area will have a couple of blocks of abandoned buildings, then a few with signs of life. There was a television show based on this area called “Hill Street Blues.” Within the last few years there has been some revitalization in the area and many people are moving back. The Hill District is a great location due to its proximity to city events and access to public transportation. I think the visual imagery of Hopper’s painting will resonate with my students and that they will have an emotional response. This will make the ekphrastic poem in turn accessible to them.
In the first line John Stone refers to another place. Not here, in Edward Hopper’s painting, but somewhere else, in the next block. There, someone may be playing the beautiful breathy music that comes from a flute. If we listen quietly, we may capture a note or hear several that might remind us of another time. That music is not being played in this picture. The stores are closed and nothing is open. In the upstairs windows there are no faces or people or activity. In front of the buildings there are signs of life, though. The inanimate objects suggest that people do live here. But Stone switches his tone to say that “as if there could ever again/ be hair to cut/ fire to burn” to emphasize the emptiness. Then he goes far away to where the sun might be, “low” and in the “East.” Though time is frozen here in this moment, on Sunday morning, it is not in reality because it always comes, “right on time.” The sun brings with it from China to this quiet place the light that adds to the color of the building. This color will not determine the temperature of the day and make it hot. That would be unpleasant and that is not what is happening here. Stone switches to the artist, Edward Hopper, who finishes his painting on a day like this one that is perfectly still with anticipation and possibilities. The painting has the potential to be filled in whatever way the viewer imagines. It’s like he painted the perfect background for whatever you want.
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