This exhibition features a concise, chronological display of works by the renowned American artist Mark Rothko. The Museum’s new entrance pavilion is named in honor of the artist, who, along with his family, emigrated from Russia (present-day Latvia) in 1913 and grew up in Portland. Rothko graduated from Portland’s Lincoln High School and took his first art classes at the Museum’s school. He left Portland to attend Yale University, eventually leaving college in 1923 to settle in New York City and pursue art full time. Today, Rothko is celebrated for his important contribution to the evolution of abstract art in the mid-twentieth century.
In this presentation, visitors will take an in-depth look at eight artworks from different periods in Rothko’s career. Early representational work demonstrates his interest in representing the figure as a means to communicate universal human experiences. Paintings from the 1940s reveal his transition to abstraction, starting with Surrealism, before leaving the referential behind for good. Rothko’s embrace of color as an evocative material reaches its peak in two large scale, classic works from the 1950s. At this time, he arrives at his signature style: layered blocks of color that complicate visual perception while heightening emotion and psychological responses.
For the next several years, the Museum will showcase art from the collection of Christopher Rothko and Kate Rothko Prizel, Mark Rothko’s children, to honor the artist’s connection to Portland and his critical legacy in the history of American art.
Curated by Sara Krajewski, Eichholz Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.