The Artists Reality: Philosophies of Art

Mark Rothkos classic book on artistic practice, ideals, and philosophy, now with an expanded introduction and an afterword by Makoto FujimuraStored in a New York City warehouse for many years after the artists death, this extraordinary manuscript by Mark Rothko (19031970) was published to great acclaim in 2004. Probably written in 1940 or 1941, it contains Rothkos ideas on the modern art world, art history, myth, beauty, the challenges of being an artist in society, the true nature of American art, and much more.In his introduction, illustrated with examples of Rothkos work and pages from the manuscript, the artists son, Christopher Rothko, describes the discovery of the manuscript and the fascinating process of its initial publication. This edition includes discussion of Rothkos Scribble Book (1932), his notes on teaching art to children, which has received renewed scholarly attention in recent years and provides clues to the genesis of Rothkos thinking on pedagogy.In an afterword written for this edition, artist and author Makoto Fujimura reflects on how Rothkos writings offer a lifeboat for art world refugees and a model for upholding artistic ideals. He considers the transcendent capacity of Rothkos paintings to express pure ideas and the significance of the decadelong gap between The Artists Reality and Rothkos mature paintings, during which the horrors of the Holocaust and the atomic bomb were unleashed upon the world.