0AINTING %MPTINESS )MPRESSIONS OF THE 2OTHKO #HAPEL $AVID 2OUNDS
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ELIGIOUS ART IS LIKE MOST ART REFERENTIAL 4HE CRUCIl ED #HRIST THE SEATED "UDDHA (INDU GODS IN STONE BAS RELIEF THE WORDS OF THE 0ROPHET IN MOSAIC CALLIGRAPHYˆWE EXPECT FROM RELIGIOUS ART AN INTERPRETATION OF SOME PARTICULAR RELIGIOUS CONTENT WHETHER DOCTRINE OR PERSONALITY OR NARRATIVE "UT HOW CAN ONE PAINT OR SCULPT SPIRITUALITY ITSELF THAT SENSE OF THE SACRED THAT IS COMMON TO ALL RELIGIONS IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR DOCTRINAL OR NARRATIVE CONTENT !N OCCASION TO ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION WAS GIVEN TO THE !MERICAN PAINTER -ARK 2OTHKO WHEN IN THE EARLY S HE RECEIVED AN UNUSUAL COMMISSION FROM THE ART COLLECTORS AND PATRONS *OHN AND $OMINIQUE DE -ENIL 4HE DE -ENILS WERE PLANNING TO BUILD AN INTERFAITH CHAPEL IN (OUS TON AND THEY ASKED 2OTHKO TO PROVIDE A SERIES OF PAINTINGS FOR THE CHAPEL $OMINIQUE DE -ENIL WROTE LATER h! CHAPEL SHOULD REMIND US OF SHARING v "UT PRECISELY WHATT IS SHARED BY RELIGIOUS PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT TRADITIONS CAN BE HARD TO IDENTIFY ESPECIALLY IN WORDS )N THE 2OTHKO #HAPEL IT IS EXPRESSED IN PAINT "Y THE TIME OF THE DE -ENIL COMMISSION 2OTHKO HAD ALREADY ESTABLISHED HIS UNIQUE STYLE WHICH PRESENTED LARGE CANVASES CONTAINING BLURRED EDGED RECTANGLES IN SUBTLE GRADATIONS OF COLOR 2OTHKO HAD GROWN UP AS A PAINTER IN THE .EW 9ORK 3CHOOL OF ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM BUT BY THE S HE NO LONGER CONSIDERED HIMSELF AN ABSTRACTIONIST (E WROTE h) M NOT INTERESTED IN THE RELATIONSHIP OF COLOR OR FORM OR ANYTHING ELSE ) M INTERESTED ONLY IN EXPRESSING BASIC HUMAN EMOTIONS v !LTHOUGH 2OTHKO S PAINTINGS OFTEN JOINED BRIGHT AND SOMBER COLORS THE FOURTEEN PAINTINGS IN THE 2OTHKO #HAPEL ARE UNIFORMLY DARK HUED MAGENTA
PURPLE AND BLUE BLACK BLENDING INTO BLACK 4HEY l LL THE EIGHT WALLS OF THE CHAPEL S OCTAGONAL SANCTUARY WHICH CONTAINS NO OTHER ADORNMENT 4HE CHA PEL ITSELF THE DESIGN WAS BEGUN BY 0HILLIP *OHNSON AND COMPLETED BY (OWARD "ARNSTONE AND %UGENE !UBREY IS l NISHED IN A GRAY GYPSUM 4HE PAINTINGS ARE COMPLEMENTED BY THE TRAPEZOIDAL BLOCKS OF THE OCTAGONAL CEILING >HHJ: D8ID7:G
$AVID 2OUNDS
4O STAND IN THE CENTER OF THE 2OTHKO #HAPEL SURROUNDED BY THESE STRICT SHAPES AND SOMBER COLORS IS TO BE OVERWHELMED BY THEIR INTENSITY AND TO BE CALMED BY THEIR STILLNESS ALTHOUGH ONE CANNOT SAY JUST WHAT IT IS THAT IS INTENSE OR WHAT IT IS THAT IS STILL 7HAT 2OTHKO SEEMS TO BE EXPRESSING IS SPIRITUALITY ITSELF AS IT EXISTS PRIOR TO ANY SPECIl C RELIGIOUS CONTENTˆUNLESS THAT CONTENT BE AN ATTEMPT TO EXPRESS THE PRIMORDIAL EMPTINESS WHICH IS AT THE SAME TIME FULLY CHARGED WITH SPIRIT -ARY 7ELCH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE 2OTHKO #HAPEL DESCRIBES 2OTHKO S ACHIEVEMENT AS IN PART A CHALLENGE h4HE #HAPEL TURNS YOU BACK INTO YOURSELF 9OU GET TO SEE WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU BRING TO IT 2ELIGIOUS ART THAT IS l GURATIVE TAKES YOU ANOTHER WAY BUT HERE YOU AREN T INVITED TO RELY ON #HRIST OR ANY OTHER OBJECT OF WORSHIP 9OU HAVE TO CALL ON YOUR OWN RESOURCES v 4HE 2OTHKO #HAPEL CONSISTENTLY DRAWS MORE THAN VISITORS A YEAR 4HEY COME -S 7ELCH SAYS EITHER ON THEIR OWN SIMPLY TO EXPERI ENCE THE CHAPEL OR ELSE TO TAKE PART IN THE SUCCESSION OF EVENTS THAT THE CHAPEL SPONSORS $OMINIQUE DE -ENIL S INTENT FROM THE BEGINNING WAS TO
,OOKING NORTH IN THE SANCTUARY OF THE INTERFAITH 2OTHKO #HAPEL IN (OUSTON 4EXAS &IVE OF THE FOURTEEN PAINTINGS ARE VISIBLE THE NORTH TRIPTYCH AND THE NORTHEAST AND NORTHWEST PANELS 4HE PHOTOGRAPH BY (ICKEY 2OBERTSON (OUSTON IS REPRINTED HERE WITH PERMISSION
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0AINTING %MPTINESS
DRAW IN BOTH KINDS OF VISITOR h)F SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE AND SILENT WORSHIP BELONG FUNDAMENTALLY TO THE VOCATION OF THE 2OTHKO #HAPEL v SHE WROTE hTHERE IS ALSO ANOTHER ASPECT )T IS THE SEARCH FOR TOGETHERNESS THE BUILDING OF COMMUNITIES OF THE HEART ON THE SISTER PATHS OF ECUMENISM AND HUMAN RIGHTS 4HROUGHOUT THE YEAR THE #HAPEL SPONSORS TWO REGULAR PROGRAMS A SERIES OF MONTHLY LUNCHTIME MEDITATION SESSIONS AND A RELIGION LECTURE SERIES 4HE MEDITATION SESSIONS WHICH ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC AND WHICH INCLUDE INSTRUCTION ARE LED EACH MONTH BY A DIFFERENT FAITH GROUP 4HE LECTURE SERIES WHICH IS ALSO FREE TO THE PUBLIC FEATURES SPEAKERS AND PANEL ISTS FROM VARIOUS TRADITIONS 4HE TOPICS ADDRESS A COMPLEX OF ISSUES AS THEY EXPLORE THE CONVERGENCES AND DIFFERENCES AMONG FAITHS AS WELL AS ISSUES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS 4ITLES OF TALKS GIVEN IN INCLUDE h4HREE 2ELIGIONS AND /NE $ESTINY 2ELIGIONS FOR A "ETTER (UMANITYv AND h4HE 3TRUGGLE FOR 4RUTH 6OICES FROM THE -ARGINS v 4HESE PROGRAMS -S 7ELCH SAYS ALLOW PEOPLE hWHETHER RELIGIOUS OR NOT TO MEDITATE PRIVATELY OR TO BE PART OF A PROGRAM WHERE THEY LEARN WHAT OTHERS BELIEVE AND SHARE WHAT THEY THEMSELVES BELIEVE v 4HE #HAPEL ALSO SPONSORS THE 2OTHKO #HAPEL /SCAR 2OMERO !WARD
WHICH IN WENT TO 4ORTURE !BOLITION AND 3URVIVORS 3UPPORT #OALITION )N TERNATIONAL 4!33# )NTERNATIONAL 4HE DIRECTOR OF 4!33# )NTERNATIONAL 3R $IANNA /RTIZ IS AN 5RSULINE 3ISTER WHO SURVIVED IMPRISONMENT AND TORTURE WHILE SERVING AS A MISSIONARY TEACHER OF -AYAN CHILDREN IN 'UATEMALA 4HE 2OTHKO #HAPEL IS LOCATED ON A QUIET STREET IN THE (OUSTON MU SEUM DISTRICT &OR MORE INFORMATION READERS MAY WRITE TO THE #HAPEL AT 3UL 2OSS 3TREET (OUSTON 48 OR VISIT THE #HAPEL S WEBSITE AT WWW ROTHKOCHAPEL ORG 4HE #HAPEL IS OPEN TO VISITORS FREE OF CHARGE EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR s
.OTES 3USAN * "ARNES 0REFACE TO 4HE 2OTHKO #HAPEL !N !CT OF &AITH (OUSTON 2OTHKO H #HAPEL AND THE 5NIVERSITY OF 4EXAS 0RESS
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