Untitled (Green divided by Blue), 1968
The untitled green divided by blue painting done by Mark Rothko consists of two green squares separated by a blue rectangle. These colors are depicted against a white canvas. Mark used a color field painting style to illustrate the post-war anxiety and trauma moods that artists were exposed to. This style is more of a combination of abstract expressionism and surrealism. The use of juxtaposition and an aggressive mixture of colors in this painting express Rothko’s emotions and thoughts when he was creating this piece of art. Currently, the painting is part of the art collection displayed in the Phoenix Art Museum.
When taking in the beauty of the untitled green divided by blue painting, one cannot help but notice its relation to several other works created by Rothko too. Mark used the same style and themes for these works too. For instance, the Orange-brown painting had a large orange square between two brown rectangles on a light brown background. Here mark manages to capture dramatic emotions which are expressed by the color contrasts and the huge size of the art. Another related work is the ochre and red on red painting. The painting consists of bright yellow color on top of a red-orange field against a dark red setting. This piece exudes a warm feeling due to the brightness emanated by the painting.
While Rothko was transitioning his painting style, he had admired and been inspired by Clyfford Still’s (considered to be one of the forefathers of color field painting) colorful abstract fields. Rothko also inspired several modern color field artists namely Richard Caldicott, Sandrine Kern, Carrie Moyer, etc. Richard’s work is usually a combination of color field concept, abstract concept, and geometric shapes. A good example of his art is the Chance-Fall (8) piece he produced in 2010.
Sandrine Kern on the other hand uses oil paint and cold wax as her medium with multiple layers of color. Art enthusiasts enjoy her work and get to feel her emotions when she was creating the art piece. Carrie Moyer is also another modern artist whose work is inspired by Rothko’s color field paintings. Moyer creates complex pieces with a combination of surrealism, color field, social realism, and juxtaposition. Some of her notable works over the years include Tender stars, 2007 and Four dreams in an empty room, 2013.
The above-mentioned artists are just but a few numbers of artists whose creations are inspired by Mark Rothko. These artists subscribe to the school of thought that color helps us to see beyond the surface of an art piece.