The Rothko Chapel is depressing as hell!!!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

Adding to the recent flamebait, I found a blog by John Nova Lomax at The Houston Press (alt paper).

I thought I was the only person who does not GET Rothko. I was wrong. Lots of people don't get it.

Lots of people have talked about what a happy place the Rothko Chapel is.

Link to the blog:
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2009/03/rothko_chapel_before_die.php

My comment which I posted at the blog:
I thought it was depressing as hell. And several of my friends did too. The first thought I had was "No wonder he shot himself. I'd be depressed too if I painted that dark stuff".

I never got what concepts he was trying to put across. So it's dark and abstract. Gloomy. He should have put a tag next to it explaining what he was trying to tell people like me that do not understand.

I think a lot of people are not making their own judgments about the place. They have been told it's a happy, spiritual place, and it was financed by big money (the Schlumberger fortune), and they have peacenik type events, memorials to MLK, Jr., so it must be what they say it is.

My own gut tells me it's gloomy and depressing. And my gut never lies.

================
Flame away!!! :popcorn:

[tridim]

1. I'll go with.. Most chapels are depressing.

But yea, that one is suicide inducing.

[valerief]

2. I like his squiggly line paintings more than the monochromatic ones.

And chapels (wedding chapels aside) are pretty depressing anyway.

[Karenina]

3. It's less about "getting" it than "feeling" it.

Yes, it is dark, gloomy and depressing. It also, for me at least, encapsulated all of that. I experienced it as a benchmark on the road to acceptance and found it quite peaceful. YMMV.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

4. This chapel is depressing in particular.

I am an agnostic and I enjoy visiting grand churches to see the esthetics of the artwork and stained glass. I really enjoyed Art History in college.

I've been to places like St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, which is very interesting to me.

However, there is nothing interesting in the Rothko Chapel. I know they were trying to be minimalist but they ended up being gloomy.

[glinda]

5. It is difficult for some people to understand certain Art because it also helps to

understand the context it was painted in as well as knowing his prior work. Perhaps and just a suggestion is to view his paintings that are full of color. What makes him historically unique was also what others were doing differently at the time. Art can't really be separated from History. I have never seen his black paintings but have seen an exhibit of his color field ones. As someone who equates color with emotion and other things (theories), I found them moving and beautiful and I think if I saw the black ones, I might very well feel sad. That for me, as an artist, doesn't diminish the experience though. But frankly, I am sure they would depress me (as did you and justifiably so) and as I am depressed enough about things, I think I will go watch a comedy.

[aquart]

7. Not me.

All I got from the context is a feeling that Rothko had no fucking idea why his work worked. The art has to stand alone, on its own. All context does, in the end, is force you to give the work back to the artist, where before it belonged solely to you.

[glinda]

12. Rothko knew exactly what he was doing. Art never stands alone. It always is in some context

be it emotive, historical, visual or all of the above. When it is all of the above, it tends to have longer shelf life and is more difficult to produce. Good Art is not ignorant.

[aquart]

6. Rothko's ragged patches of color always give me a sense of peace.

I have no idea why. I don't know what a bunch of black panels would do. But the large color paintings? They calm me all over.

[elleng]

8. I've never cared for his work,

and would certainly not view the chapel. BUT others are certainly entitled to their contrary opinions.

[TankLV]

9. Looks like the REPUKE Waterboarding Room...

I've seen more pleasant coroner's freexers than that...

[natrat]

10. that black is heavy

[glinda]

13. That red is heavy. The green is still and an anchor.

[Cronopio]

11. Just listen to the Morton Feldman music - it's peaceful if nothing else.

And if you think Rothko is depressing, don't look at the stuff Francis Bacon painted. *That's* dark.

[sclerite]

14. It's brilliant

These enormous color field paintings are from Rothko's later period and they are not black. First, you have to understand the concept of color field. Second, they drip in olives, browns, greys, and maroons but they are infinitely subtler than his earlier color fields. The church itself is non-denominationailist and features a meditation pillow and benches and the silence, acoustics of the building and general idea of a cross shaped building with art panels as altars that welcome those of all faiths or no faith as a place of reflection on art or spirit is what, I think, it should be about. Additionally, the sculpture outside is also famous in its own right and is in modern art texts. You have to be in there for at least fifteen minutes for your eyes to adjust and see the subtley of color of the giant canvases, so those complaining are missing the very essence of what Rothko intended. Did anyone mention the energy sparks that are commonly seen in the chapel? Gloomy? I don't think so.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

15. I still think it's depressing.

I have been there several times. Once at a memorial service for my dear voice teacher. Somebody brought a boombox and they played "How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place" from the Brahms German Requiem. There was laughter ringing throughout the service.

Yes, I have sat in the Rothko Chapel meditating and trying to get some peace from the atmosphere. However, when it is quiet and still, I think it's depressing. I know the paintings are subtle but I don't get what they are trying to say.

It's quiet and peaceful, but it's the peace of the grave. Not the peace of life throbbing quietly.

And yes, I am an artist and I used to be an art major.

[Baby Snooks]

19. The void of the soul...

That is how someone once described what Rothko was trying to convey. The void of the soul. But once we look deep within, the voidness reveals something else. A subtle richness within. Within both the paintings and the soul.

[EFerrari]

16. I love Rothko. I have two big posters framed in the livingroom

that my niece calls "the windows". Sometime we have to get to the chapel.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

17. I don't understand the colored pics either. So sue me. nt

[Elidor]

18. Peter Gabriel wrote a great song about that place

14 Black Paintings.

I've never been to the Chapel, but the photos I've seen are interesting. Not a good model for your living room, but a very powerful installation.