The Rothko Chapel Essay

Art History is the study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts. The history of art, we feel, can sometimes be confused with art criticism. However, Art History is concerned with finding the value of the artistic piece in respect with others in the same category of art or movement, and art criticism is more of an evaluation of art. The art examined best represents the culture during the time period, visions the artist imagined, and history behind an event. It also represents society in a specific area, beliefs the people may have, writing that tells a story, the natural world and environment, conflict between people and areas, and the human body. With these representations, artwork overall represents the life in which we live (d). Each piece has its own genre, design, format and style to it. This makes each piece extremely different, yet pleasing to the eye. They also vary between paintings, sculptures and architecture. These different types also make a variety of artwork to be seen by all people. The art pieces that I chose, Jar, Bottle and Glass by Juan Gris, The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí, and Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh, seemed interesting to me and I believe to best represent the context in which they were created, along with the major artistic movements of the time. I went on to research them more thoroughly to better understand the history behind them,

On Saturday, November 4th, I visited the Denver Art Museum in Denver, Colorado. The piece of art I decided to write about is called “A Mountain Symphony (Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado)” This two-dimensional oil on canvas painting was completed in America in 1927 by Sven Birger Sandzén. This painting has not been on public view since 1927 and is located in the Denver Art Museum in Denver, Colorado. It was a “Free Day” at the museum, so I decided to attend by myself. I was unable to get a picture of myself in front of the work of art I decided to write about, but I did get several pictures of the artwork and a picture of myself with the “Free Day” sticker. I decided to write about this work of art because it was the only piece in the museum that really stood out to me and really caught my attention. A Mountain Symphony is a lively, beautiful landscape painting with a vibrant pallet filled with luminosity and broad brushstrokes. The sculptural quality of the paint surface reflect the influence of turn-of-the century modernist techniques. The balance of color and light brings happiness and joy to the viewer.

The sermons given at Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel are known to liven up a calm Sunday morning. On the morning of September 18th, I expected the same caliber speaker that had graced the pulpit all of the previous weekends. What I didn’t expect on that Sunday was to see Michael Eric Dyson, a man whose name stuck a chord with most of the public. E even though his name had been on the itinerary since the first chapel service, I was still in shock to see him in person. I had seen him once before earlier in the year at Hampton University’s graduation. If his sermon was anything like his commencement speech, I reckoned that I was in for a show - and that I was.

Paul Klee will always be remembered as one of the world’s greatest modern artists. Not only through his inspiring artwork that was trendsetting for many generations of artists to come, but also his writings and lectures that were extremely valuable to the world of modern art laying the ground work for mastering color, style, and simplicity; Klee was truly one of the all-time greats at what he did. Klee was also one of the first artists to recognize the art of the self-taught and mentally ill. Klee said: “Only children, madmen, and savages, truly understand the in-between world of spiritual truth”.

Jackson Pollock was a legendary, novel, abstract expressionist who has created numerous paintings through his drip-style, action painting technique (Goodnough, 2012). Theosophical influence arose from Phillip Guston and Thomas Hart Benton, while in the early stages of the artist’s life. Muralists, such as Jose Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera were also admired and studied by Pollock. He was captivated by the unorthodox techniques of David Alfaro Siqueiros which contributed to the abstract style of Jackson Pollock (Solomon, 1987).

When I attend the Oklahoma Art Museum this morning, I was completely blown away by the different styles, technique, and artistic abilities that artist have. Art can come in many forms and can involve many different things. From paintings, sculptures, and abstract pieces of the modern world. Along with my visit, I got to experience a new collection of blown glass that was absolute remarkable. As I walked though the museum, it was as I walked though time and got to see how each period’s art changed throughout time. From the different shades of color to the different types of technique that filled the halls of the Oklahoma City Art Museum, each piece was genuine in its own way. I was starstruck as I witnessed Lowell Nesbitt’s Parrot Tulip, Richard Diebenkorn’s Albuquerque, and Dale Chihuly’s blown glass.

The innovative and passionate presence in both Jackson Pollock’s and Wassily Kandinsky avant-garde paintings exemplifies the redefinition of boundaries throughout their art making practices. Both artists challenged traditions both materially and conceptually using innovative and diverse approaches to materials and techniques when painting. Wassily Kandinsky goes against traditions and academies to create vivid, sensual and symbolic large-scale semi abstract expressionist oil paintings in a heightened state of mind. Many artworks of his convey bright and cheerful spontaneous colours that make the audience fully consumed within his works due to hypnotic and distorted semi realist shapes. Consequently, Jackson Pollock also goes against

With exhibitions of the most thought-provoking art, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago is one of the Nation’s largest facilities devoted to the art of our time (“About the MCA”) . The mission of the MCA is to offer a direct experience to the public of modern day art and living artists. German architect Joseph Paul Kleihues designed the new building with seven times the square feet of its previous facility (“The Building”) . October of 1967 the museum opened its doors to the public for the first time. The Museum of Contemporary Art is a symbol of modern art, culture, and the artist of our time. It is a stepping stone in history and will leave footprints in the heart of Chicago for many generations to come.

Wassily Kandinsky was a Russian-born artist, whose contributions to the world of modern art are innumerable. On an artistic level, Kandinsky's maturation process from representational art to abstract art is fascinating. From his earliest work, with an impressionistic flair, to his later work, which was pure abstraction, Kandinsky was an innovator and a genius. He bridged the gap between reality painting of earlier decades and the fantasy pastime of the twentieth century.

Mark Rothko- Abstract Expressionist paintings can be divided into two groups. That of the action painters and that of the colour-field painters. As melancholic and misanthropic as Pollok, killing himself in 1970. Understood that to paint a flat form painting destroyed illusion and revealed truth. He was very aware of the spiritual dimensions attainable in abstract art, some of his works being described as deeply religious. (Hugh Honour & Fleming, 1991)

In his text entitled “Modernist Painting”, Greenberg focuses on the development of painting between the 14th and 19th century and emphasizes on what distinguishes Modernist painting from previous forms of painting, particularly those of the Old Masters. Greenberg begins by relating Modernist art to Kantian philosophy claiming that, the same way Kant used reason in order to examine the limits of reason, Modernist art is when art became self critical because it uses the technique of art to draw attention to its status as art. Indeed, he explains how without this self-examination similar to that of Kant’s reflection on Philosophy, art would’ve been “assimilated to […] therapy” like religion, because

61 (Rust and Blue). This piece is a painting that was layered with color on canvas. Rothko decided to use “layered colors to enrich the hues in the painting and to lend it a quality that artist described a that of ‘inner light’” (mark-rothko.org). This piece was created in 1953. This piece, Fountain, and the “Oyster dress” were all created in close proximity to each other in comparison to Pieta, which was created between 1498 and 1499. This piece by Rothko “consists of large expanses of colour delineated by uneven, hazy shades” (mark-rothko.org). From the documentary we watched on Rothko the other day in class, I learned that he wanted his paintings to evoke the basic human emotions. Although this piece is simple it is meant to resonate with the audience so that they can personally connect with it I some way. I think this is a very different approach to art. Most artists try to paint a scene, or have a story behind their art but Rothko approaches his art with emotion in hopes that it evokes emotion with others. This piece was created in a relatively similar time period to some of the other pieces, but its materials and intention are different from all of the other

The Sistine Chapel is one of the most beautiful artworks known to man, but who knew that so many secrets could be hidden in the artwork that covers the ceilings and walls of the sacred church. The Sistine Chapel was falling apart and after getting it fixed church needed someone to decorate the inside with the most intelligent strokes of a paint brush. After searching Pope Julius ll chose the famous artist Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo may or may not have wanted to paint the Sistine Chapel for the Pope. Symbols are everywhere in art; Michelangelo was able to put large and even some insulting symbols on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Jacob Baal-Teshova wrote "Rothko always resisted attempts to interpret his painting's. He was mainly concerned with the viewers experience" TESHUVA, 2003: 7

Throughout the vast history of art, historians can find connections throughout the centuries. Artists from the beginning of humankind have been inspired by the world around them. From the Apollo 11 stones to present day, history and culture have provided inspiration and have been the focus of various pieces. Examining artwork from the 15th-18th century, viewers can be shown a whole world that would be unknown to us without these artist’s contributions. History, religion, and cultural events have sculpted the art world, and we can observe this through many pieces during the 15th-18th centuries.