The elder Rothko was not interested in the way something looked but rather using the way something looked to express an idea. His approach to creating was a holistic, focused and intentional process that is an outward expression of his personal philosophy. No facet was left unturned, not even the title. Titling the work was an interruption to the discovery process and thus was a distraction from Rothko’s aspirations. His son, Christopher explains in his book, "Mark Rothko: From the Inside Out", “Removing titles from his paintings was an extension of this same quest for direct and profound interaction with his viewer and reflected a new emphasis on communication unimpeded by spurious or external elements.” (pg 163) Ultimately, Rothko desired to speak with the viewer of his work in a meaningful way. It was not about the beauty of a painting but an attempt to draw the viewer into an encounter and consider more deeply the things of which they assume and push them out of the ordinary into the essential - taking them from a settled, comfortable place into a mysterious, philosophical journey.
According to Rothko’s son, “Viewing a Rothko is a process. It involves rethinking how to look, a quest for understanding, and a recognition of our own inner workings at play in the undertaking. It is an experiential endeavor where the process of interacting with the painting is a large and essential part of what one takes away. It cannot be bypassed or abbreviated, or that elusive thread of understanding will remain elusive… the painting (will) revert back to just a group of colors and rectangles glossed in a title.” (pg 162)
Rothko’s work concerns the conditions of life about which we should pause and consider. They, “demand that the viewer take time to reflect, to suspend the here and now and adopt a rhythm more in tune with the universal, the eternal.” (pg 205) Through the use of color and form, his later works stir the senses for spiritual exploration; to consider our own inner space where the inner beauty is more important than the outer. He is attempting to capture something that is not easily communicated through familiar language. His work is a doorway, an entry, an invitation to delve into the deeper places. It is a sensual relationship of communication. He creates an environment for still, meditative reflection for those willing to travel beyond the external and connect with the internal. Entering the conversation with a blank slate, void of titles or labels to influence our interpretative process.
Nicholas Bourriaud echoes the idea of this interaction between the artist’s work and the viewer in his book, “Relational Aesthetics” when he discusses the exchange between the artist, the work of art and the viewer. He claims, “If a work of art is successful, it will be open to dialogue, discussion and that form of inter-human negotiation that Marcel Duchamp called “the coefficient of art”, which is a temporal process, being played out here and now." (pg 41) The full realization of the art rests upon the one willing to allow the present aesthetic clues to guide them into an experience beyond the tangible. The balance between the artist’s intention and its realization is equally dependent upon the audience as much as it is upon the hand that created the work. The piece begun by the artist continues through the person viewing the art, even though the artist has physically removed themselves from the piece. In essence, the art contains the spirit in which it was formed.
In, “Concerning the Spiritual in Art” Kandinsky discusses the idea that art is born in mystery and that through the artist it is brought to life with purpose. “It exists and has power to create spiritual atmosphere.” (pg 53) He further shares the following comments on the inextricable connection between the soul and art declaring that “The artist must have something to say, for mastery over form is not his goal but rather the adapting of form to its inner meaning.” (pg 54) The temporal clues will lead to the ephemeral message for those willing to travel the course.
Rothko’s work, particularly during the later years, was dependent on the viewer to take responsibility for their encounter. If you were not connecting with the work, it was a sign of your own inability to reflect and see yourself in the piece. His approach was to create an environment that allowed for contemplation - a search for truth - dependent on the viewer's willingness to engage beyond the surface. His use of color, shape, and space were merely passageways for the soul to move beyond the physical and into the spiritual.