Mark Rothko - Artist Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mark Rothko - Artist - Research Paper Example The paper "Mark Rothko - Artist" focuses on Mark Rothko. The young Marcus’ life was out of the question. Travel towards the man of the arts from a childhood filled with religious and political ideals started when the Rothkowitz moved to the U.S. evading the pressing political situation in Russia. Leaving Yale was the onset of Marcus’ art career particularly when he saw a sketch session during a visit at the Art Students League wherein later on he enrolled on one of the art classes. His early artworks were greatly influenced by Max Weber, a mentor at the Art Students League and a Russian immigrant like Marcus. Marcus’ early works are figurative bordering mostly on the Expressionist style of painting. His works before shifting to abstract expressionism always vary and as seen in his paintings such as the untitled painting of three nude women painted in between 1933 and 1934, his work depicting children at the doorstep in Street Scene done in 1937 and a self-portrai t done in 1936 only shows that just like any artist, Marcus was searching for a specific art style to appropriate for his ideas. Among his attempts to make his presence felt in the art scene is the small show at the Museum of Art in Portland in 1933 displaying some of his paintings and works on paper and his first one man show in 1947 at the with his first one man show at the Parsons Gallery. Symbolism in the artist’s works paved way to an art style that freed not only the artist from the confines of the existing art styles during his era. but released him from the restraints of his religious and political upbringing. Changing his name from Marcus Rothkowitz to Mark Rothko symbolized the birth of an artist liberated from the constraints of his past and the dominating art styles at that period. Rothko in the 1940s had shifted into an art style called Multiform which is â€Å"a synthesis of mutilated figures, myths and symbols painted in hazy and luminous colors.† (Bresl in 232). The artist’s Multiform period served as his transition period towards a more individualistic and unfettering style for Rothko. Examples of his work during this period are The Omen of the Eagle done in 1942, Sacrifice of Iphigenia also painted in 1942 and Gethsemane which was done in 1944; all of which were filled with symbols, inspired by myths and teachings of Judaism. In these paintings, Rothko obviously endeavors to create a more personal art form by featuring familiar subjects that the artist had lived with throughout his life. From artworks bombarded with symbols and myths, Rothko arrives at a point that even he was worn-out of incorporating them on his paintings. He started eliminating concrete figures in his painting, one of his paintings that demonstrated the figureless style was Number 7 painted between 1947 and 1948. Along with eliminating concrete figures from his artworks was Rothko’s discarding of using prolix titles and used numbers instead or de liberately leaving the