Summary Of The Play 'Red' By Mark Rothko

In the play “Red”, Mark Rothko is faced with Ken, an eager protégé who eventually comes to challenge his idol and forces Rothko to confront his fading importance in the art world. His descent from being an in-demand artist is something that Rothko refuses to accept, with his greediness perspective of colors toward his work, believing that his vision is pure enough to survive where other artistic movements have failed. However, the major project he is working on, a commission by the prestigious Four Seasons Restaurant in New York City’s newly built Seagram Building, challenges Rothko’s position as a visionary and reduces his masterpieces to simply being overmantels.

Among the many points of debate raised in “Red” is a recurring discussion about

Pop Art was gaining popularity, in part because it was entirely antithetical to the moody and volatile nature of Abstract Expressionism. Works by Pop Artists such as Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol depicted familiar images from popular culture and were a departure from the emotionally intense work of Rothko and his contemporaries. Where Rothko’s work was emotional, pop art was critical and ironic. As with artistic movements of the past, this new form of expression challenged and overpowered the last. “ROTHKO: You know the problem with those painters? It’s exactly what you said: they are painting for this moment right now. And that’s all. It’s nothing but zeitgeist art. Completely temporal, completely disposable, like Kleenex, like – ” (Logan 33-34). In “Red”, Rothko’s critique of the “next generation” is clear. He found Pop Art vapid. As Ken finds himself and develops his own artistic sensibilities he is able to challenge this idea by saying that Pop Art is “neither good, or bad, but it’s what the people want.” (Logan 33). When Rothko responds that this is because people don’t understand art beyond “what they like,” Ken says “You’re just mad because the Barbarians are at the gate. And whattaya know, people seem to like the Barbarians!” (Logan 34). This conflict between the two

Where is it appropriate to display, share and view art? Despite what Rothko might think, his Seagram paintings are going somewhere where they will frequently be ignored. Ken notes that artistic works have to speak for themselves but throughout the play, many variables that affect the viewer are addressed. Context is another essential factor that contributes to the interpretation of art by the viewer. Understanding the conditions under which a piece is created can shift and develop the viewer’s perception. Whether an artist likes it or not, certain elements affect how a patron engages with their work. There is no such thing as a context-free viewing. Regardless of its content, a painting’s impact is influenced by the variables in the space in which it’s displayed such as lighting, temperature, noise, size and even smell. “ROTHKO: I do get depressed when I think how people are going to see my pictures. If they’re going to be unkind…Selling a picture is like sending a blind child into a room full of razor blades. It’s going to get hurt and it’s never been hurt before, it doesn’t know what hurt is.” (Logan 37). Some paintings may evoke stronger emotions in dull or bright light, or if angled or particular light. The temperature of the room while viewing a painting can affect the perspective of a patron. While most studios are kept by artists