Untitled 1944 - 1945

Mark Rothko made this untitled work with watercolor, ink, and graphite on paper. The way the colors bleed and blend suggests an art-making process that embraces chance and improvisation, like letting your thoughts wander on a walk, or allowing a doodle to take on a life of its own. It reminds me of Cy Twombly, another artist who embraced a sense of freedom. There is a balance of intention and accident. Look closely, and you will see how the washy, transparent colors create depth and atmosphere. The frenetic scribbles of ink and graphite add a sense of energy and movement, while the pale blues and yellows evoke a feeling of melancholy, not unlike Agnes Martin. Notice the vertical, blue streak on the lower right. It anchors the composition while acting as a visual echo of the network of lines and shapes dancing across the surface. This piece captures a fleeting moment, a whisper of emotion caught on paper. It reminds us that art can be a form of meditation, a way of exploring the complexities of our inner lives, and that ambiguity is something to be embraced, not feared.