Mark Rothko

Born 1903 and died 1970

American painter with Lithuanian Jews descent. He refused to adhere to any art movement, but can be under the abstract expressionist.

He was able to speak Lithuanian Yiddish, Hebrew and Russian.

At the Art Students League of New York he saw students sketching a model and that is where his art journey began. He then went to Parsons The New School for Design and also he took courses at the Art Students League.

He moved to NYC where his influences and art learning grew.

1929 Rothko began teaching young kids to drawing, painting and clay sculpture at the Center Academy of the Brooklyn Jewish Center.

In the 30s Rothko and a group of artists met with Milton Avery where they learned that making art for a living is possible. He also learned about color from Avery.

"ultiforms" developed into the signature style

He even went so far as to recommend that viewers position themselves as little as eighteen inches away from the canvas. so that they might experience a sense of intimacy, as well as awe, a transcendence of the individual, and a sense of the unknown.