From the first time that I saw a Mark Rothko painting I was hooked. His artistic use of colour as a means of conveying emotion was something that I instantly connected with. I didn't care that what he painted was a way of illustrating his depression and hatred of the world. To me it elicited feelings of calmness and serenity.
He painted his paintings for himself, knowing that whoever looked at them would have a different interpretation. That is the beauty of his art. It is a means of conveying feeling specific and personal to the viewer.
So I was surprised and disappointed when I heard that they were making a Broadway play, Red, based on the life of Rothko. Several things ran through my mind:
- I doubted this were something that Rothko himself ever would have approved of. He took his own life because he couldn't deal with the state of society. I doubt he would want the theatre going public to entertain themselves with his life.
- And I believe his art is refreshing because he doesn't tell you what to think or feel about it. I don't want to know that something that he painted while he contemplated his eventual suicide is the same painting that makes me want to tell my sister I love her.
I generally support the crossover of different mediums of art. However, this time I feel like I have to put my foot down. Rothko is a popular artist with many of his paintings breaking records at auctions worldwide. It seems to me that Broadway is trying to capitalize on his popularity without taking into consideration the values of the man himself.
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