Saturday, January 17, 2009

Pockets of Silence


Paris, January 2009, JB



When I was a younger man, art was a lonely thing; no galleries, no collectors, no critics, no money. Yet it was a golden time, for then we had nothing to lose and a vision to gain. Today it is not quite the same. It is a time of tons of verbiage, activity, and consumption. Which condition is better for the world at large I will not venture to discuss. But I do know that many who are driven to this life are desperately searching for those pockets of silence where they can root and grow. We must all hope that they find them.

Mark Rothko, 1969




3 comments:

billoo said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jacky bowring said...

The comment disappeared, Billoo ... but in response, alas I didn't make it to the Tate Modern this trip, but watched Simon Schama's documentary on Rothko's Four Seasons commission - which included this quote - while cruising at 39,000 feet somewhere between Dubai and Sydney ...

billoo said...

Jacky, hello. sorry, it was a bit embarrassing. I think I wrote that when I was half asleep (not that I'm more attentive when I'm fully awake!)..er..so it was actually addressed to someone else.

I don't like Schama much..still think Robert Hughes is the best contemporary writer. But Dore Ashton's book is great (I'v got some excerpt's on my blog..under 'Rothko')

Between Dubai and Sydney..what could be worse?! :-)

Gosh, you do seem to spend a lot of time in the clouds.

take care,

b.