How Do We Value Modern Art: A Reflection on Mark Rothko and Other Modern Artists

“We all fear what we do not understand.”  - Dan Brown, The Lost Symbol (2009).

We have all, once, dismissed a simple thing that we did not understand. Sometimes, we wonder why certain things are heavily platformed. In the case of modern art, artists tend to showcase abstract concepts through works that seem simplistic, which has led to criticism of the movement as being a particularly useless period in art history. Any layman can throw paint and create abstract art. What makes a Rothko with simple lines and colours more valuable than the artwork of regular people with access to rulers? It is a question we often ask without realizing what lies beneath the work is not just its visual medium but its impact. The rise of social media has led to alternative views of artwork, one that does not see it as a visual medium that creates social impact but as work that anyone can make.

Although art is an inclusive medium, the alternative interpretation of these works has led to a misguided understanding that it lacks value if one can make it at home. We can explore this concept by examining the works of Mark Rothko and Felix Gonzales-Torres, who use simple visuals to depict concepts that involve exploring physical and mental health through artwork. This article's exploration of a contemporary audience's relationship to Gonzalez-Torres and Rothko's work relates to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Good Health and Wellbeing.

TikTok’s impact on the digital media landscape is undeniable with its rise in the pandemic era of 2020. It evolved into media conglomerates such as Meta, X (formerly known as Twitter), and YouTube, adding ‘TikTok copycat’ features to their existing social media platforms. Varying TikTok trends have emerged over the years, mainly showcasing TikTokers standing next to artworks they claim to be able to make themselves in galleries. Creators would stand next to works such as Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow (1930) by Piet Mondrian, IKB 79 (1959) by Yves Klein, and Untitled (Black on Gray) (1969) by Mark Rothko. Although these trends come and go, they are examples of the way modern audiences interact with art. Contemporary audiences tend to argue that modern art is too simple because anyone can paint a canvas blue, like Yves Klein. But why is this simple blue piece of wood worth millions?

The answer to why plain-looking modern art is worth millions is what you see and perceive. Artists like Mark Rothko are one of the many who are criticized for creating works that anyone can do. Rothko’s pieces are so invaluable to modern audiences that a man once vandalized one to “increase its value.” Audiences fail to realize that Rothko’s intention was never to make the most expensive two-toned painting but to entice an emotional reaction in his audience. Rothko’s intention with his work is to allow his audiences to connect emotionally and spiritually with their inner selves. Rothko’s technique and artistic vision are intentionally made to connect his audiences to a state of anxiety and sorrow, eventually leading to epiphany and emotional catharsis. The beauty of Rothko’s pieces is in their simplicity, as anyone can view and connect with them spiritually. Rothko has always stated that his pieces are “a consummated experience between picture and onlooker. Nothing should stand between my painting and the viewer."

Modern art predominantly explores art as a concept rather than documentation. As art movements progress, artists explore concepts, ideologies, and spiritual values. Rothko’s pieces, in particular, explore the connection between the spiritual, emotional, and physical self by evoking reactive responses to his work. Although simple, the chosen colours and composition in Rothko’s work carry an intentionality, purposefully evoking emotional reactions. Viewing a Rothko piece is an experience where every aspect, including the environment, will affect the audience’s view. Rothko said, “A painting is not a picture of an experience but is the experience,” which mirrors his approach to art as a whole. Rothko’s methods are still irreplicable today. They should be valued for their technical impact rather than as a simple piece one can make at any time.

Alternatively, modern art can be used to document moments in an artist’s life through a more conceptual lens. Felix Gonzales-Torres's work, for example, documents his experience going through the HIV/AIDS crisis as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Many of his pieces are ‘portraits’ using unconventional materials such as string lights, clocks, jigsaw puzzles, and stacks of paper to create interactive minimalistic installations and sculptures with the audience. What may seem to be mundane, like a stack of paper or a pile of candy in the corner of a room, reveals poignant commentary on the realities of the HIV/AIDS crisis and its impact on the LGBTQIA+ community. Gonzales-Torres depicts grief, agony, and sorrow through the most mundane items, powered by subtextual symbolism and specific details within the sculpture. Audiences may take a piece of candy from a pile, a piece of paper from a never-depleting stack, or steal a gaze from a clock suspended in motion. What lies beneath, however, is the gruesome truth of the effects of queer demonization and erasure during the HIV/AIDS crisis, the slow, gradual loss of human life through disease, and the reality of grief as one must continue to live even when those you love do not.

Modern art is frequently misunderstood. Many often think, “It’s just painting a canvas red” or “It’s just dumping a load of candy in some room,” but disregard the message behind the work. One can always try to recreate an artist’s work but will always fail to capture its essence when they disregard the context of the piece. With the rise of social media platforms creating accessibility to these works, we must also empower our young viewers to open their eyes and think critically about the media they consume, as there will always be more than meets the eye.