10 June, 2007

Response to Rothko


Untitled,
6.5" x 4"
Original Pastel
10 June 2007
Casey Klahn

This is a response to my Rothko research. I'd like to do more of these.

I know it looks moody to some, but you have to remember that my personal response to gray is 180 degrees opposite yours. I grew up under a cloud, you see. Gray is my comfort color!

When thinking Rothko, I think of Myth and Tragedy. Those were two of his benchmark meanings for art.

10 comments:

Philip said...

It might be an idea to produce a series of these using the same colours. Just a thought!

Anonymous said...

I think it's wonderful Casey! You don't have to explain what your art means. Unless you want to that is... Art like this that comes from the soul. I personally don't think it's meaning needs explaining.
*HUGS*

jafabrit said...

I like this, the colours, the way you did it. I think I like it better than Rothko, because yours has more depth to it for me.

Unknown said...

I don't see grey I see muted green, red and blue.

Casey Klahn said...

P:
I like that idea. It hadn't occurred to me like that for this one, but I frequently do take a palette that works and do 2 or 3. The selection of the palette is often the part where the "art" is for me. It is very hard.

A:
Did I over-explain it? That's the Rothko navel-gazing because I'm reading his book on art philosophy.

J:
Wow, what a nice compliment that is! This business of depth is a modern art issue, as you know. Thanks very much!

N:
The greys are my own hand made sticks from the "tailings' that fall on my easel tray. They're easier to make than the "from scratch" pastels that start as a jar of powder. The reason is that they already have binder in them.
I really love my own greys because they have random inclusions of color and value that are a surprise.

My wife saw this and immediately denounced the scanned quality. I was eager to use my scanner bed that has been returned from Shanghai, and is now out in my studio. The upshot is, my wifey has agreed to take the digital of it ASAP!
How does that red line occur from the scan?
Thanks all you artists who saw through the poor photo quality!

Robyn Sinclair said...

For me it has a touch of Sean Scully too. I love grey , but for me this one is vibrating with other colours.

Casey Klahn said...

Thanks for bringing Scully to my attention. It's not that easy to find color field people who are a success. DC is having a big display of CF Painters, now.
Thanks very, very much.

Anonymous said...

Casey,
I think that you should explain it as much as you would like to. It is your blog and a wonderful way to express your thoughts and oppinions. THANK YOU for sharing them!
*HUGS*

Robyn Sinclair said...

Delighted to help, Casey. Scully is a favourite of mine. I saw a fantastic exhibition of his work at the National Gallery in Australia just before we came to Italy. I still have pages of a sketchbook where I tried to reproduce the paintings I'd seen - Grey Wall, Red Figure and Barcelona. He's also done a 'chapel' series dedicated to his mother if I remember rightly - I saw that too.

Casey Klahn said...

Thanks, Angela - good to go.
Robyn, I plan a chapel series as well, but I got the idea from Barnett Newman rather than Rothko. I'll be doing a shorter set on the next few AE's. Probably expand on DeKooning and Tobey, and maybe Motherwell.

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