MoMA: Abstract Expressionist New York (2) Rothko

I had a chance to go back to the exhibition to finish going through it before it ended. Many pictures and some interesting observations....let's take a look.

1 Rothko

Surprisingly (or not,) it took him very long time to form his "style." The process was clearly shown at the room with many pictures of Rothko from different periods.

Those 3 pictures represent well of the change he went through over time. Here is a quote by Rothko from MoMA's panel which explains the idea perfectly.

"The progressive of a painter's work, as it travels in time from point to point, will be toward clarity: toward the elimination of all obstacles between the painter and the idea, and between the idea and the observer".

 I found this quote quite deep. It feels so true--it may apply to any kind of art. To convey what you see and what you felt---exactly how it felt---to the canvas (music or writing, whatever the form you take) to convey to the observer as pure as possible! If you are (or tried to be) an artist, you know that it is indeed what you aim at, and how difficult it is. In a meanwhile, arts is the most powerful tool to "eliminate obstacles" which exsits between people and people for understanding each ideas and feeling--- "between painter and the idea, and between the idea and the observer."

Rothko took further pass to stop using bright colors (2nd and 3rd picture). Here is another quote from MoMA explaining the picture No. 3.

"often, towards nightfall, there is a feeling in the air of mystery, threat, frustration ---all of these at once. I would like my painting to have the clarity of such moments."

What do you think, how good he achieved his goal?