It is a widely accepted notion among painters that it does not matter what one paints as long as it is well painted. This is the essence of academicism.
Mark RothkoRead
If our titles recall the known myths of antiquity, we have used them again because they are the eternal symbols upon which we must fall back to express basic psychological ideas.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of ancient myths as foundational symbols for conveying deep psychological concepts in art.
Mark Rothko suggests that the titles he chooses for his works are not arbitrary but rather rooted in the timeless myths and symbols of history. These myths serve as essential tools for artists to communicate complex psychological themes that resonate on a deeper level with human experience, making them relevant across generations.
Themes
ArtMythsSymbolsPsychologyExpression
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the influence of mythology on modern art, this quote can illustrate how artists draw from historical symbols.
More from Mark Rothko
All quotes →Look, it's my misery that I have to paint this kind of painting, it's your misery that you have to love it, and the price of the misery is thirteen hundred and fifty dollars.
Mark RothkoRead
We favor the simple expression of the complex thought. We are for the large shape because it has the impact of the unequivocal. We wish to reassert the picture plane. We are for flat forms because they destroy illusion and reveal truth.
Mark RothkoRead
The artist invites the spectator to take a journey within the realm of the canvas... Without taking the journey, the spectator has really missed the essential experience of the picture.
Mark RothkoRead
The fact that people break down and cry when confronted with my pictures shows that I can communicate those basic human emotions.. the people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience I had when painting them. And if you say you are moved only by their color relationships then you miss the point.
Mark RothkoRead
Art to me is an anecdote of the spirit, and the only means of making concrete the purpose of its varied quickness and stillness.
Mark RothkoRead
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