The Mark Rothko’s moving plane-spaces

Abstract

Thesis. The reception of Marek Rothko's paintings depends on the interpretation of moving planes-spaces.
Discussed concepts. Abstract works by Marek Rothko are discussed in a philosophical context of the plane and space. The analysis uses selected elements of the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and Martin Heidegger. Reference was also made to the figurative paintings of the romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich. During the analysis such terms as: motion, light, nothingness were used. They served to show a different understanding of the work of an American painter. Particularly important for presenting a different understanding of the artist's paintings was to emphasize their philosophical dimension. References to the philosophically understood G. Deleuze’s layer and the notion of M. Heidegger’s being allowed for a better understanding of the mechanisms governing the image. In turn, the Heidegger’s concept of nothingness was discussed in the context of processuality. Such a perspective combines with the decomposing effect of movement, which affects the understanding of the problem associated with the painterly plane.
Results and conclusions. Discussing the mechanisms of "action" of Rothko's paintings allowed us to verify the thesis that the paintings plane of representation is dependent on the presentation of their movement.
The cognitive value of the approach. The interdisciplinary approach to the Rothko’s abstract paintings gives a new opportunity to understand it and opens the field for philosophical, speculative consideration of elements related to the surface and space in painting. An attempt was made to broaden the understanding of the artist's works not only based on a comparison to other painters, but also focusing on mechanisms related to visual creation.