Mark Rothko was not afraid to look into the abyss; he saw some things in there, brought them back for us. When Simon Schama released his 'The Power Of Art' series on BBC nearly a decade ago, there was an episode on Rothko, where he was portrayed by the actor, Alan Corduner -- Sir Arthur Sullivan in the film 'Topsy Turvy', who greatly resembled Rothko and seemed (like Andy Serkis as van Gogh, in another of Schama's episodes) an amazingly wise casting choice.
It was the last episode in the series, and Schama summed up his program by talking about Rothko's sensibilities and work -- that his images weren't empty existential screaming, but that they encompassed "womb, tomb, and everything in between. You can't ask for more than that."
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ReplyDeleteMark Rothko was not afraid to look into the abyss; he saw some things in there, brought them back for us. When Simon Schama released his 'The Power Of Art' series on BBC nearly a decade ago, there was an episode on Rothko, where he was portrayed by the actor, Alan Corduner -- Sir Arthur Sullivan in the film 'Topsy Turvy', who greatly resembled Rothko and seemed (like Andy Serkis as van Gogh, in another of Schama's episodes) an amazingly wise casting choice.
ReplyDeleteIt was the last episode in the series, and Schama summed up his program by talking about Rothko's sensibilities and work -- that his images weren't empty existential screaming, but that they encompassed "womb, tomb, and everything in between. You can't ask for more than that."
Indeed. Happy Rothko Day, the Universe.