“I became a painter because I wanted to elevate painting to a level as moving as music and poetry” – Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko (1903-1970) was an abstract artist, whose work spanned five decades and paved the way for a new form of American abstract painting. Opening on October 18, 2023, the Fondation Louis Vuitton presents the first retrospective in France dedicated to Mark Rothko (1903-1970) since the exhibition held at the musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris in 1999.
A Tribute to Abstract Expressionism
The Fondation Louis Vuitton displays the nuances of his works through an exhibition that uncovers 115 of his works. The foundation pays tribute to his impact on the Abstract Expressionist Movement.
Rothko explores the parameters of boundaries, space and time, and sought to question these limitations. His works feature rectangle and square blocks of colour that blend into the rest of the canvas. This represents an extension of the exploration of parameters. Heavily influenced by human emotion, he naturally gravitates towards expressing himself through colour and composition. These thoughts and feelings shaped his concepts.
His elaborate and innovative techniques focused on colour, shape, depth, and scale. Although he rebelled against the notion of being put into one box. His goal? To become a great painter, not only for his paintings themselves, but for his exceptional skills in doing it.
He once said, “It is a widely accepted notion among painters that it does not matter what one paints as long as it is well painted. This is the essence of academicism.”
You can find the exhibition in Paris. It runs from the 18th of October 2023 to the 2nd of April 2024.
Subscribe to FIB’s Weekly Breaking News Report for your weekly dose of music, fashion and pop culture news!