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