Art Captions

Author notes

0025. Orange and Yellow

CornTown

on Feb. 13, 2010

By Mark Rothko (1903-1970)
Circa. 1954
Color Field Painting.
Though a color field painting appears to be the simplest of design, that in itself is the point of the work. Artists like Rothko sot to eliminate all physical forms in favor of abstraction. Rothko believed that recognizable figures and images, only stood as emotional baggage which absorbed whatever emotion the artist was trying to display. The only way to give the audience a sense of pure emotion was by using the most basic of elements; pure colors. Not only was this effective, it made art much more universal, as the viewer could apply the painting's meaning to their own lives and interpret the artwork for themselves.