Untitled 1945 - 1946

Editor: Here we have Mark Rothko's "Untitled" from 1945-46, a mixed-media painting. I find it incredibly intriguing, almost like looking at relics of a lost civilization. What can you tell me about this work? Curator: Consider the means of its making. Rothko utilizes mixed media, oil paint alongside possibly watercolor. This layering reflects a tension. It challenges the established hierarchies within art production itself, suggesting that the “high” art of oil painting is inextricably linked to more “common” or “lesser” materials. Editor: So, the materials themselves are part of the statement? Curator: Exactly. Think about the physical act of creating this piece during that specific time. Post-war, resources were scarce. Did this influence Rothko’s choice of combining media? Is this 'lack' or 'scarcity' itself a silent voice within the piece? Further, abstraction moved art away from traditional narratives and into ideas or feelings, so what social conditions fostered this need? Editor: I see, so you're saying that Rothko wasn't just creating an abstract composition, but reflecting a whole world of socio-economic conditions. Was it about the labor that made the materials? Curator: Precisely! Consider how these readily available media democratize the artistic process. He blurs the line between "fine art" and 'common artifact'. What do you make of it now, knowing it can reference art production, labor, material, and the artist’s economic considerations? Editor: That shifts everything! I now see this "Untitled" as more than just colors and shapes, but almost like an archeological site of artistic processes. Curator: And that site allows us a perspective to think critically about art production and consumption of that period, as well as about our current socio-economical system.