IGI2

Rothko’s work is very much symbolic. He paints many simple images, but when examined more closely, one will find that there is more in the image than meets the eye. A similar thing is true in Tennessee Williams’ play “A Street Car Named Desire.” Many literary critics suggest that two of the main characters, Stanley and Blanche, represent the old and new south. This is a theory, which I agree with.

I chose these pieces by Rothko for two reasons. The first is that they, at first glance, are simple images of simple shapes, but upon further examination, they reveal that they are much more complicated. The violent and passionate colors, which correlate with Stanley and the new south, are suppressed by the gentile and simple shapes, which correlate with Blanche and the old south. Rothko's work evokes an image of a constant fight, but usually the struggle is small, while only at points does it flair up to something more substantial.

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