Improvisation - looking and listening activity page
Mark Rothko

Rothko found great emotional stimulation by listening to music. What emotions do you feel by looking at the visual and listening to the Shostakovitch String Quartet #8, second movement?

Look carefully at Rothko's painting Untitled ( String Quartet). Observe the areas of red detail. What function does the red serve in the painting? Is it discordant or harmonious? Why do you think Rothko included this color?

Composers of the 1930s were bursting into new polyharmonies( many more choral patterns) and polytonality ( two keys presented at the same time). Try to think of this in visual terms. Did Rothko use more than one color harmony? Look at the figure of the cellist. Does he create a balance or a discord within the composition?

Click here to see some other paintings by Mark Rothko. What do you think he was trying to achieve as his work became more abstract and more limited in colour?

Here is a list of adjectives. Browse through the visuals and see which words best describe the mood or feeling expressed in each of the works.

Think back to the events of September 11, 2001. Create a non-figurative painting which expresses your reaction to and emotions about this event. Search for a song or musical composition which also echoes these feelings.

Go to the website - http://www.nga.gov/feature/rothko to see more information on Mark Rothko.