Abstract Composition in Blue, Green, Black, and Brown c. 1944

Mark Rothko made this Abstract Composition in Blue, Green, Black, and Brown with watercolor and ink wash on paper. I love the dance of intention and accident in this piece. The overall feeling is loose and flowing. Rothko allows the colors to blend and bleed into one another, which softens the whole composition. I can almost see him at work, the brush moving across the paper, a give and take of control, and a willingness to let the painting guide the way. Look at the smattering of brown dots. They seem haphazard at first, but they subtly balance the composition, anchoring the lighter blue tones. I can really get into that. It reminds me of the smaller drawings of Joan Miró, or the work of Cy Twombly, all artists who embrace the playful side of painting. All of us artists are constantly in conversation, riffing off each other, and borrowing ideas across time. It's like a big, messy, beautiful, and ongoing experiment.