MFHA - Rothko Trips Me Out

Yesterday the whole family went to the museum (Kim's suggestion!). Went alone today.

At the Museum Of Fine Arts Houston, they give out chairs and drawing supplies. Attached are a couple drawings I did. Did one of a guy drawing a painting. Then I tried to draw a painting, but got frustrated because I couldn't get the expression on the guy's face... so tossed one... then tried a close-up thinking that'd help, but didn't get it.

But prior to drawing, I checked out some paintings. In particular, I sat in front of a Rothko. I noticed this little light smudge in the center of the painting. I thought, "That *has* to be on purpose." I thought maybe I was supposed to sit and concentrate on that spot. Anyhow, I stood there staring hoping nobody would wonder why I was in one place for so long.

I don't know if this was intended, but after staring at the little spot, the spot looked like it turned into a little man... and call me insane... it started running, kneeling, running again, turning, kneeling, running in the abyss of this painting. And the abyss became more abysmal... and I'd blink... and the painting seemed to be alive with color even though... on first check you'd say it was dull.

I'm not being googly-goo. I think it is just the immensity of the painting and the subtle blending of color. And the little spot that turned into a running guy, I think is how your eyes play tricks on you, like with an optical illusion where lines criss-cross and they seem to be moving. I can't explain it being a "running man", but think that was really cool. I don't think that Rothko could do that intentionally, but wonder if he knew something would happen to people if they looked into these abysses that he created.

I thought, "Crap, this guy isn't painting... he is attempting to create some portal." Then the conspiracy theory came to me, "What if this guy *was* doing a self-portrait... an animated self-portrait of himself... alone... in an abyss... running. What if I was the first to see this?"

The eerie thing is that I freaking did something Rothko-ish last night. I included a figure flying over sommersaulting etc.

And so my next thought after throwing out the conspiracy theory was, "Man... I *suck*". I had to explicity put this abstracted figure flying... some kind of "making it over the hill" expression or how pretty the day was. Rothko figured out how to stimulate my eyes along with my imagination so that I could enter a new place (maybe even a place he wanted me to visit). His canvas wasn't on the wall, his canvas was my imagination or something even deeper. He had to know that.

Another conspiracy might be that he was using these paintings for his own transportation.

I know all that sounds crazy, but I think it actually makes sense that, at least, that is what he was trying to do... and what he did, regardless, is remarkably profound. That's not textbook, it is just what happened today.