Ceremonial 1945

Curator: This is Mark Rothko's "Ceremonial," completed in 1945. Rothko, of course, is central to the Abstract Expressionist movement, and here, working with oil paint, we see him developing the seeds of his mature style, edging away from overt figuration into more abstracted forms. Editor: The subdued, almost earthy palette is quite striking at first glance. There is something very primitive feeling about its shapes, with their suggestion of ritual. Curator: Definitely, there's a deep investigation of symbolism in these early works. If we consider Rothko's background as a Jewish immigrant in America, his later turn to total abstraction can also be understood as a powerful aesthetic and social response to rising antisemitism, removing himself and his art from potential cultural appropriation. In a society trending toward increasing violence and polarization. He seemed to seek ways to disembody and defund what felt fraught. Editor: And it seems to create this tension between visibility and concealment that is so compelling. The muted colours don’t scream; they invite you in. Did the shadow of World War II influence these paintings? Curator: Absolutely. The war was deeply influential for Rothko, his circle and others in the New York scene, prompting many artists and intellectuals to rethink their relationship to the socio-political world and art’s public role. The emergence of abstraction in the 1940s wasn’t just an aesthetic choice; it was intertwined with broader existential and ethical anxieties of the era. We can see him searching for ways to visualise, not through clear references, but through feelings and atmospheres. The titles such as "Ceremonial" speak to something serious, communal and profound that may have gotten lost and could maybe still be accessed. Editor: Rothko’s mature work certainly overshadows these earlier pieces. There is more direct rawness in this canvas, I almost miss a touch of that as his style becomes so iconic. Thank you, this really deepened my appreciation. Curator: Likewise. Rothko is full of depths.