Untitled [verso] c. 1944

This untitled work was made by Mark Rothko, we think in 1944, using mixed media on paper. What strikes me is the immediacy, the way you can see the artist working through ideas right on the surface. The colours are muted, almost grey, yet punctuated by bursts of white, red, and a touch of blue-green. There's a real emphasis on the material qualities here. The surface is built up through layers, marks made with pencils and crayons. I love the way Rothko lets the under layers peek through, creating a sense of depth and history. There’s a particular area, around the middle, where a small rectangle has been collaged onto the surface; it feels like a key or a code. Rothko reminds me a little of Arthur Dove, who also explored abstraction as a way of conveying inner states. Art's a conversation, right? And Rothko is always worth listening to.