Rothko as Meme
The Rothko in room 623 of the La Jolla Sheraton Hotel is in fact a second-order derivative: an oversized giclée print of a Rothko knockoff. Oversized here refers not to the knockoff - Rothko's paintings being even bigger - but rather to the size of the print in the hotel room: the effect being more Magritte than Ab-Ex.
The image is printed on an inkjet-friendly canvas which in turn is mounted on a stretcher bar to simulate the object-like quality of an actual painting. The canvas on the sides of the object is printed in black. The object is securely fastened to the wall - it cannot be moved or removed without the use of tools.
In the photo above, the color on the right side of the object is washed out by reflected light. While this is partly a result of the camera flash, the effect is also distinctly visible in normal room lighting. This reflectivity is a product of the glossy ink and canvas used in the giclée process: it creates a subtle glass-like sheen on the surface of the image, effectively eliminating the illusion of atmospheric depth that is key to the visual power of a Rothko. The object thus fails as a Rothko imitation.
Careful study of the photo - in particular, of the gap between the ceiling molding and the top of the object - reveals that the object has been hung at a slight angle, with the left side being lower than the right. This is not a photographic artifact - it is distinctly visible to viewers in the room. Though not obvious in the photo, there is an apparent logic to this noncanonical orientation: the two horizontal bars in the image tilt slightly to the right, so by hanging the object itself to tilt slightly to the left, the bars achieve true horizontality relative to the room.
Rothko-esque imagery is a visual motif in the hotel: the second photograph is a detail of the paper card that guests leave on their bed to request new sheets.
Careful study of this photo reveals a decidedly nonRothko-esque pattern of spirals in the blue area of the image. Possible interpretations of this pattern include (but should not be limited to) allusions to textiles, or perhaps to the maritime component of the signature La Jolla sublime.
Comments
Richard,
The object in question may have failed as a Rothko imitation, but it has not failed as a upside down Rothko imitation. Let me explain. I've made a most fascinating discovery.
In taking to heart your very wise adage, "Google is art's best friend," I Googled mark rothko images looking to verify if the object displayed was an actual Rothko painting that exists, albeit in its derivative state or some cheap mass produced "Made in China" Ab-Ex inspired simulcre. And then that's when I saw it, result page 141 - 160 of about 19,900 images, "White Center," 1950 by Mark Rothko. I later discovered that it was scheduled to be auctioned off by Sotheby's New York sometime this year. (more)
However, as you know any scientific discovery is part chance and part skill, interpreting the data, comparing and contrasting the results, testing new theories and finding conclusive evidence. I've found that evidence. The La Jolla Sheraton Hotel has not only hung the object at a slight angle as you've stated, but has hung it upside down.
I rest my case.
Posted by: Kevin Freitas | mai 11, 2007 05:45 PM
"The result is a piece of printed art that has the appearance of an original canvas painting without the higher cost usually associated with original artwork."
(Link)
The higher cost in this case is $46,000,000.00 versus the advertised $199.56.
Posted by: RG | mai 12, 2007 11:58 AM
But wait, there's more... about $72.8 million worth.
link
photo: Liz Baylen for The New York Times
Posted by: Kevin Freitas | mai 17, 2007 05:36 PM
That picture would not have stayed like that for long if I was staying in that particular room.
Posted by: KAI 1 | juin 8, 2007 08:13 AM