Sunday, 22 June 2014

Rothko Paintings And Basquiat Paintings

By Darren Hartley


Rothko paintings are abstract expressionist pieces, well known for their images featuring large and luminous color blocks. Mark Rothko is most well known for the forms, figures and great color creation he delivered in the many paintings he created.

An orientation towards social themes with expressionist and surrealist undertones was characteristic of the first Rothko paintings. The influence of Max Weber was reflected in the subjects Mark chose for his paintings. Max provided Mark with first hand knowledge and enthusiasm for European modernism. Marc Chagall was another artist who had a great influence on Mark's art work.

The frequent focal points for Rothko paintings were urban scenes and landscapes. Other than this, Mark's creations also included figurative works. His rough application of paint showcased the expressive side to the art of Rothko. This technique would later emerge as the distinctive style for which he would become vastly popular through the whole course of his impressive career.

Basquiat paintings sucked in and carried along an often intricate and complex journey through a maze of references, which often times made little rational sense, but nonetheless, fell like they have a reason for existence. They are mesmerizing, dense and full. They enveloped everything from the inner city kids' game called skellys to Sugar Ray Robinson, Miles Davis and Da Vinci.

Actual words, etched in scrawl, take primacy in Basquiat paintings. They are perfectly placed streams of consciousness colliding with iconic images of crowns and skulls. Honestly a bit less dark than some of Basquiat's later works, a patron can get lost in this collision for hours on end.

The mind of a prodigal genius with flashes of an early style is displayed in Basquiat paintings. There are standard art forms found in these works, including the ubiquitous trademark crown as well as the black background and mirrored images, boxers and skulls. The key to the complete output of Basquiat, numbering to more than 2,000 from the ages of 19 to 27, is held by the early Basquiat drawings.




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