The Four Seasons Situation

So our man Mark Rothko was finally given a commission for an entire space!

It was what he always wanted!

An area where he could cover the walls with his panels, his murals. A place where he could wrap the viewers in…a feeling…a sense…something that he could never achieve with a single painting!

Gentle Reader: Wow! That is impressive! What type of “feeling” was Rothko going for? I am thinking a playful “Je ne sais quois?”…or a mysterious “Deeper insights into love & nature?”

Eric C Hudson: Yeah…you gotta remember…they hired Rothko. One of his more famous quotes was ”I am interested only in expressing basic human emotions – tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on.”

GR: Oh Crap!

ECH: Yeah. That’s not on the menu at Chipotle.

GR: This sounds dicey.

ECH: It WAS dicey GR!

Mr. Rothko was working away at these panels…trying to get just the right….the right…everything…But throughout it all…he was torn.

• This was a huge opportunity!

• It was a large space to do with as he wanted.

• A space that would definitely be seen!

However, over time, his mistrust of the public and their taste or understanding of his art grew. He loved the opportunity to showcase. However he was beginning to get bitter about the perception of the restaurant and consequently the upper class diners who visited the Four Seasons. He began to believe these rich and privileged didn’t deserve his artwork.

GR: Ouch Billy!

ECH: I know…again…he had some demons that were way beyond tai chi and essential oils. So our man Rothko decided to try dinner one night at the Four Seasons in the room where his murals were to be permanently installed.

GR: And???

ECH: It did not go well…his distrust of the public and their art-gobbling consumerism finally peaked. He told Harper’s Magazine

“I hope to ruin the appetite of every son of a bitch who ever eats in that room. If the restaurant would refuse to put up my murals, that would be the ultimate compliment. But they won’t. People can stand anything these days.”

Shortly afterward, he returned his check…

GR: For one trillion dollars?

ECH: Exactly. For one trillion dollars! Then Rothko screamed at the Seagrams Big Wigs! “I changed my mind! These images are awesomesauce! I don’t want them hanging anywhere near your stinkin’ Nuggets station!”

GR: Seriously….he said “My paintings are awesomesauce?” and “The Nuggets Station?”

ECH: He said that! Hand to God….

GR: ***

ECH: Okay..but the idea was there…I mean he did some phenomenal artwork, and finally returned the money and just gave all the pieces away!

GR: Say what now?

ECH: I know! Its a long story but THE major modern art gallery in London decided to take this amazing gift!

GR: Wow! That’s crazy business! What did the Tate Modern do with these murals?

ECH: They worked directly with Rothko and built a room to his specifications. Hung the paintings and lit the room exactly to his specifications. Oh, and he gets this room until the end of time.

GR Holy Frijoles!

ECH I know! An enormous commitment for the Tate!

What does all this mean?

What all this means, is that you go into this room at the Tate…and BAM! It is full on Rothko….Peeps typically can’t handle that. Peeps go into this Rothko room and they FREAK OUT!

GR: Come on….For reals?

ECH: Listen GR…YOU freaked out over one single painting…”Eric I don’t get it!” Remember our best friends Cheryl & Daryl? I mean our man Daryl stopped everything…possibly missed the Stanley cup…because of one single painting…

GR: Well yeah…

ECH: Think of a room designed specifically for multiple Rothko paintings…lighting designed to match the artists specifications…just right to sit there and absorb….

GR Yeah…that’s part of what gets me…ABSORB..absorb what exactly?

ECH That is what I mean….Rothko is seriously High Octane…some high voltage stuff that you need to handle with care…

GR Can you hear my eye roll from there? That sounds ridiculous.

ECH I KNOW! But let me talk to you just for a New York minute…about extracts…

GR: I’ll meet you there…I need a snack…give me five….