In association with the Rothko show at the Tate Modern through February, The Guardian sent reporter Jonathan Jones to Houston to visit the Rothko Chapel, the artist's "final, misunderstood masterpiece."
"Rothko did not paint his cycle of dark paintings for the Menils' chapel
because he was a religious man. He leapt at the chance to create
a chapel because it was the type of cultural space that came closest
to his ideal of making a "place" with art. Tell that to Houstonians.
To spend a couple of days at the Rothko Chapel is to be at once impressed
and silently troubled. Locals use this place. In fact, they love it.
They come not just as tourists but to meditate, pray, and talk sombrely.
They see it as a religious place and the art as spiritual.
It is called a chapel, after all, and most Americans believe in God."
Ummm.... thanks?
because he was a religious man. He leapt at the chance to create
a chapel because it was the type of cultural space that came closest
to his ideal of making a "place" with art. Tell that to Houstonians.
To spend a couple of days at the Rothko Chapel is to be at once impressed
and silently troubled. Locals use this place. In fact, they love it.
They come not just as tourists but to meditate, pray, and talk sombrely.
They see it as a religious place and the art as spiritual.
It is called a chapel, after all, and most Americans believe in God."
Ummm.... thanks?
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4 comments:
I met and housed a couple of hippies who ran their moving truck into a tree outside of the Menil. They were from Atlanta and moving to Portland (go figure). The sole reason they were in Houston was to see the Rothko Chapel. I'm sure that Houstonians aren't the only folks who are captured by the Chapel.
yeah man, why aren't we all just a bunch of atheists? i mean this person is so right. I mean these people who exercise there right to practice religion in a chapel... lets tell them how they believe is unfounded and they need to stop it. I mean, if Rothko didn't want it that way...*rolls eyes*
"tell that to Houstonians." um, huh? wha?
So he didn't believe in God...and he committed suicide soon after it was complete. Hmmm....
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