马克抽象画作品

 人物评价

时代的抽象表现主义画家波洛克、德．库宁、纽曼所占有的地位和评价似乎仅仅是一个陪衬角色，而在中国艺术界的影响，也只有极少从事抽象艺术的画家才把他奉为大师。这种现象如同命运，很难分析出可信的原因．不过，据研究资料表明，美国著名批评家格林伯格以共名批评的方式推出代表美国本土风格的现代主义艺术，在罗斯科的话语中并不完全认同，而且始终怀疑这种命名的真实性，尽管他在生前也从中分享到名声和利益。艺术运动的定义往往是预设的、模糊的，它无法确切展现该运动中思想最深刻的艺术家，即使它成功地阐释了其他人。

严格说来，马克·罗斯科的大师地位的确立是1990年代之后的事情，可以说两个书写事件产生了决定性的影响，其一是杰姆斯．B·布鲁斯林(Jemese．B．Breslin)《罗斯科传》(1993)，这部近600页的传记，以翔实的个人资料、调查访问和评论性的叙述，呈现了罗斯科的艺术和生命；表现出他自由主义个性中复杂的紧张、矛盾和冲突；解释了他的生活和作品形式的社会、历史和文化力量；显示生活如何影响作品，以及作品又如何影响生活；为艺术界提供了一种观看和思考罗斯科作品的高度专业的全景式阐释，有力超越了罗斯科以往那种反叛且自毁的天才象征。其二是罗斯科的理论著作《艺术哲学：艺术家的真实》于2004年在耶鲁大学出版，他的儿子克里斯托弗．马克·罗斯科在该书序言中强调，它不是马克·罗斯科作品的指南。然而此书无疑可以充当开启罗斯科艺术神秘之门的钥匙，这是由于罗斯科在抽象转向之前的1940年和1941年，完全停止了过去那种超现实主义风格的绘画创作，他潜心研读神话、哲学和文学，并持续自己的理论写作，尽管本书不是他自身创作理念和作品意义的具体解释，但它深刻预表了

其艺术理想，书中所批判的流行主义、物质主义也正是导致先锋艺术溃败的致命根源。正如分析哲学家阿瑟·丹托（Arthur C．Danto）在《艺术的终结》所论断的那样，我们已经进入一个后历史的艺术时期，对艺术不断自我革命的需求已经消失。后历史的艺术氛围会让艺术转向人性的目的。当代艺术进入一个更稳定、更幸福的艺术努力时期，在这个时期。艺术永远对之回应的那些基本需要或许会再次相聚。可以说，马克·罗斯科的艺术哲学思想“回应”的“基本需要”，也正是艺术永恒而充满悲剧性的精神所在。

艺术市场从来不是一个正面参照系，但却从外在性的惯例印证了它因为新奇事物的错觉而兴旺发达，印证了资本主义本质上的虚无和贪婪，它需要不断把先锋艺术的象征资本转化为货币资本，目标不是别的，而是循环地延续资本的神话。

作品拍卖

例如，2007年9月，苏富比拍卖行当地时间15日晚于纽约举行的名画拍卖会上，拍卖45幅价值连城的印象派、现代派和当代名家画作。马克·罗斯科 (Mark Rothko)一幅画作《白色中心——玫瑰红上的黄色、粉红及淡紫》受到热捧。行内人士先前已经估计，罗斯科于1950年创作的这幅作品，能够取得4000万美元的成交价；但它在各方竞相出价竞逐之下，最终以 7280万美元的价格成交。据数据统计，1998年至2007年，马克·罗斯科作品流拍率仅为9%，其稳定的市场状况同时也见证了战后和当代艺术板块的快速发展。1966年，马克·罗斯科作品《红色22号》售价为1.55万美元，20年后其相似作品便已经开始突破百万美元大关。如此快速的价格飙升，在1999年后表现更加明显，以高价作品为例：1999年其作品《北方15度：黄色和红色》首次突破千万美元大关，9年之后类似的作品《No.15》便已经达到了5044.1万美元。2007年5月15日的香港苏富比春拍上，马克·罗斯科的作品《白色中心》更是创下了其作品目前最高价格——7284万美元。这一成绩也创造了2007年战后和当代艺术家作品价格的最高纪录。

“我年轻时艺术是一条孤独的路，没有艺廊，没有收藏家，没有评论家，也没有钱。但那却是一个黄金时期，因为我们都一无所有，反而能更肆无忌惮地追求理想。今天情况不同了，这是个累赘、蠢动、消费的年代，至于哪种情况对世界更好，我恐怕没资格评论。但我知道许多人身不由己地过着这种生活，迫切需要一方寂静的空间，让我们扎根、成长。我们得抱着一定能找到的希望活下去。”这是1955年罗斯科在工作室对拜访者不无愤慨的倾诉，“我可以在一百个地方展出我的画。可是我一点钱也赚不到。我可以演讲。可是他们不付演讲费用。有人写我，我的作品在各地展出，一年连1300元都赚不到。”可见，马克·罗斯科死后赢得的巨大的声誉和财富，与生前的困苦、焦虑和挣扎构成强烈反差，如同梵高，他们生前的奋斗时期实际上只有“饿死的自由”，坚守艺术良知的自由，这种悲剧精神选择了那些具备圣徒素质的艺术家，它根本没有偶然性和错位，因此而彰显的不是宿命，而是上帝的公义和恩典，无知不会是天才的条件，天才神授，发明概念，确立范式，为未来殉道，为天地立心。这可能与唯物主义和实在论的真实观相去甚远，却因此而成为罗斯科艺术哲学的一个复杂而深邃的思想命题：艺术家如何选择并追求自己的真理？艺术的真实性是什么？艺术家的良知和责任植根在何处？马克·罗斯科在本书中这样写道：“与过去艺术家的命运不同之处，恰恰就在于我们有选择的权利，这是因为选择能够反映出一个人对于自己的良知是否负责，对于艺术家的良知来说，最重要的就是艺术的真实性。”这段话可以视为他不无晦涩的艺术哲学的一个简明索引。

不过，要真正理解马克·罗斯科的艺术哲学思想，就有必要先了解他的生平，进而去读解他的作品，尤其是在1950年代抽象转型后的作品。当然，还有一把现成的钥匙，就是罗斯科之子克里斯托弗为本书写的序言，他不仅详尽叙述了自已和家人用了34年时间来寻找本书完整的手稿及编辑过程，还以艺术博物馆的专家身份，对本书的内容做出可信的读解和分析，这种双重的忠实在传记和理论写作中显得十分必要和可贵。下面就让我们从马克·罗斯科的生平和创作进入他的艺术哲学思想堂。

早期创作

1903年9月25日，马克·罗斯科生于俄国维特布斯克省德文斯克市一个犹太家庭，他是四个孩子中最小的一个，在浓厚的犹太文化和宗教环境中度过童年。1913年全家移居美国俄勒冈州。不久，先到美国创业的父亲去世，马克不得不卖报赚钱以补贴学费。21岁时获奖学金就读耶鲁大学。因排犹情绪影响，他的奖学金6个月后被取消。为此他只好一边学习，一边在表兄开的餐馆打工。大学三年级时，他突然辍学，去纽约一家服装厂当裁剪工。次年进入纽约美术大学学生协会学美术，同时在百老汇的剧院做配角演员、画舞台背景和当灯光师。

1929年在纽约布鲁克林中央美术学院任兼职教师，开始了长达30年的教书生涯。同年在“机会”画廊第一次展出绘画作品。1930年代初结婚，妻子爱迪丝设计手饰，商业上相当成功，但她鄙视他那些画家朋友，粗暴批评他们的作品。因此也埋下了罗斯科轻蔑流行文化和实用美术的种子。

1933年举办几次个展，获美国政府联邦艺术计划资助，并以每周23．5美元工资受雇于政府。这时期结识了后来成为著名抽象表现派画家的阿西尔·高尔基、德·库宁和杰克逊·波洛克。1935年成为“十人”表现主义画家团体创建者之一。马克·罗斯科1930年代的作品，如《风景》、《坐着的人》、《街景》、《交腿而坐的女子》等，色彩微妙，构图简洁，造型带有刻意变形和夸张，城市景象如梦如幻，带有超现实主义风格特征。

1938年加入美国国籍。这段时期，其作品风格开始变化，《地下狂想曲》（1940）中人物造型已近符号化，是迈向抽象主义的预演。此后，表达“人生的悲哀”成为主要画题，认为必须用支离破碎的扭曲形状方能表现，呈现一种“有机”图形的抽象主义面貌。如1940年的《无题》，以及《水中戏》、《源头》等。

二战期间，罗斯科与爱迪丝离异，不久与23岁的儿童书籍插图画家玛丽·艾丽斯（梅尔）结婚。1945年在古根海姆艺术博物馆举办第一次重要个人画展，获得评论界好评。罗斯科的绘画风格一直在不断变化中，到1947年，成熟的纯抽象风格开始出现。1949年起，他放弃自己既有的造型习惯，画一些大幅矩形作品，画面单纯，色彩重叠，边缘模糊。

尽管罗马克·罗斯科名声增长很快，但仍然十分贫穷。为了养家，1950年他去布鲁克林学院任全职美术教师。因与同事关系不和，1954年辞职。他生性固执，处世态度偏执僵硬。1952年惠特尼博物馆要购买他两幅画，他不仅拒绝出售，还把这个重要的艺术博物馆称为“废品店”。同年，应现代艺术博物馆之邀，参加“美国画家15人”展，临展时，送去的画与事先约定作品完全不同，使该馆艺术总监大为光火。

同时，他与波洛克、纽曼的关系十分紧张，他曾声称是他教会了纽曼“怎样去画画”，从而损伤了他们之间的友谊。

后期成就

1950年代，马克·罗斯科的声望稳定上升，经济状况有了很大改善。1958年被选为威尼斯国际博览会美国代表，并在马萨诸塞州艺术家聚居地普罗温斯镇拥有一间工作室。这时，他的抑郁症迸发，变得越来越神经过敏和消沉。他需要全神贯注全方能画出那些显得平稳安静的巨幅作品。对他来说，作画过程类似宗教祭典。他对作画过程严守秘密，作品完成前决不示人。他常常彻夜不眠，从下午5时一直工作到次日早上10时。他在剧院舞台那样强烈的灯光下作画，展览时，却把灯光安排得较暗，从而使他那些强烈的大色块从环境中凸现出来，仿佛悬浮在空中，给人造成强烈震撼。1961年，马克·罗斯科在纽约现代艺术博物馆举办个展，达到艺术事业顶峰。收藏家、经纪人、批评家蜂拥而至，甚至肯尼迪总统也来捧场，对其敬重三分。

此后波普艺术崛起，对抽象表现主义构成挑战，加上逐渐紧张的婚姻关系，马克·罗斯科情绪恶化，开始酗酒，严重损害了神经和健康。1969年元旦，马克·罗斯科离家搬到画室居住，用整整一年时间画出最后一批作品。为人愤世嫉俗、狂狷不驯的罗斯科本来就没有几个亲友，他身边就是与他共同经历二十年艺术生涯的朋友们和太太梅尔，而朋友们一个个死去了。1948年，与他共同经历二十年艺术生涯的朋友高尔基自杀；1953年5月，54岁的汤姆林去长岛波洛克的家里参加聚会，回家后第二天就进了医院，心脏病突发而逝世；1956年8月，42岁的波洛克驾驶着一辆奥兹莫比尔敞篷车发生事故去世；1962年，34岁的克莱因心脏病死于巴黎；1963年，51岁的巴齐奥特斯去世；1965年，大卫·史密斯死于车祸；1970年2月25日，他用剃刀割断手腕的血管和神经，以自杀方式结束了自己的生命。然而当病痛和绝望时的这位艺术家于曼哈顿的工作室自杀之后，却也引发了20世纪最轰动的艺术丑闻案。他的经纪人劳埃德在三个月的时间，以远低于市场价获得了马克·罗斯科遗产中的800多幅画。后来经纪人成了被告，开始了艺术史上时间最长，耗资最大的法律斗争，经历了4年的诉讼和8个月的刑事审判。被告最终赔偿了920万美金的罚款，外加200小时社会服务处罚。遗产被重新分配，其中约一半给了马克·罗斯科的两个孩子。这事件充分暴露了优雅而体面的艺术交易领域中的黑幕。这就是克里斯托弗在序言中提到的他最厌恶、最痛心的一桩官司。

 精神表达

马克·罗斯科的艺术注重精神内涵的表达。他力图通过有限的色彩和极少的形状来反映深刻的象征意义。他认为，今日西方文明根植于西方的传统文化，尤其是希腊文化。

希腊悲剧精神中人与自然、个体与群体之间的冲突，正是人的基本生存状态的写照。他说，“我对色彩与形式的关系以及其他的关系并没有兴趣……我唯一感兴趣的是表达人的基本情绪，悲剧的，狂喜的，毁灭的等等，许多人能在我的画前悲极而泣的事实表明，我的确传达出了人类的基本感情，能在我的画前落泪的人就会有和我在作画时所具有的同样的宗教体验。如果你只是被画上的色彩关系感动的话，你就没有抓住我艺术的核心。”

马克·罗斯科的作品一般是由两三个排列着的矩形构成。这些矩形色彩微妙，边缘模糊不清。它们漂浮在整片的彩色底子上，营造出连绵不断的、模棱两可的效果。颜料是被稀释了的，很薄，半透明，相互笼罩和晕染，使得明与暗、灰与亮、冷与暖融为一体，产生某种幻觉的神秘之感。这种形与色的相互关系，象征了一切事物存在的状态，体现了人的感情的行为方式。画家借助于它到达了事物的核心。罗斯科的画往往尺幅很大，这是为了能让人置身于体验之中。他在，1951年这样说，“我认识到历史上创作大型绘画的功能可能是为了描绘一些宏伟豪华的事物。然而，我之所以画它们的原因——我想它也适用于其他我所认识的画家——正是因为我想变得极为友好亲切而又富有人性。画小幅绘画是把你自己置于体验之外，把体验作为一种投影放大器的景象或戴上缩小镜而加以考察。然而画较大的绘画时，你则是置身其中。它就不再是某种你所能指挥的事物了。”1958年，他又说，“我画大幅画，因为我要创造一种亲切的气氛。一幅大画是一种直接的交流，它把你带进画中。” [2]  马克·罗斯科要求其作品挂得足够地高，并配以足够昏暗的光线和冥想的氛围，以便让人完全沉浸其中。当然，这种要求基本上得不到满足。

他创造了一种情绪化的抽象艺术形式，其作品是对色彩、形状、平衡、深度、构成、尺度等形式因素的关注。不过他不愿意人们仅从这些方面来理解他的绘画。

“只要一个画家画得好，他画什么都无关紧要。好作品是纯粹的，它与任何东西都无关。”马克·罗斯科的目标是走出绘画，全身心地投入灵魂深处。他拒绝谈论他的技术，愤怒地否认自己是一个色彩画家，并极力地使观众看到潜藏在画布下面的悲剧。

几何形状

在他的画面上我们看到的是有边缘的几何形体，但感觉到的却是由微妙色彩对比所辐射出的情绪，他是在通过几何本身来挣脱几何的控制，如同每个人都是在自己的命运中摆脱命运。在他成熟期的绘画作品中，经常可以见到两三个色彩明亮、边缘柔和、微微发光的矩形色块，它们毫无重量感地排列在一起，如同一种自由的思想漂浮于画布上空。简练、单纯，但却磁力般地将人深深吸引，马克·罗斯科在绘画中注入了强烈的精神成分, 以一种让人萦绕心头而不能忘怀的朴素闻名，欣赏马克·罗斯科的作品会让人感觉置身于他所营造的精神空间而不是陈列其作品的现实空间里，马克·罗斯科独特的风格奠定了他抽象表现主义艺术宗师的地位，在美国起著承先启後的作用，影响了後世不少的建筑与平面设计师。

马克·罗斯科可说是自学成才，罗斯科对哲学和心理学有浓厚兴趣。这喜好启发他阅读大量有关神话和精神分析的书籍，加上一生热衷戏剧和音乐，皆为他带来不少创作灵感。他对“57大街的艺术家们极其藐视，他认为这些人只理解艺术的金钱价值。然而病痛和绝望时的这位艺术家于1970年在曼哈顿的工作室自杀时，却也引发了20世纪最轰动的艺术丑闻案。他的经纪人劳埃德在三个月的时间里, 以远低于市场价获得了马克. 罗斯科遗产中的800多幅画。后来经纪人成了被告，开始了艺术史上时间最长，耗资最大的法律斗争，经历了4年的诉讼和8个月的刑事审判。被告最终赔偿了920万美金的罚款, 外加200小时社会服务处罚。遗产被重新分配，其中约一半给了马克。罗思科的两个孩子。这事件充分暴露了优雅而体面的艺术交易领域中的黑幕。

马克·罗斯科早年受希腊神话、原始艺术和宗教悲剧等传统题材对描绘人类深层的情感元素所吸引，复又受胡安·米罗 (1893-1983) 及安德烈·马松 (1896-1987) 等超现实主义画家的创作手法所影响，使他创作出带有超现实主义色彩的作品。1947年以后，他趋向以更纯粹的形式和技巧去创作。到了1950年他已完全抛开了具体形象，这时期的代表作品，常见巨大的彩色方块，配以朦胧柔和的边缘，简洁单纯地悬浮在画布上，找不到有深度的空间，而这种很浅的空间忽远忽近，不可捉摸。色彩之间的相互关系因为长方形空间而起作用，造成一种温和而又有节奏的脉动感，不清晰的交界处隐隐地藏住很多耐人寻味的东西。以此唤起人类潜藏的热情、恐惧、悲哀、以及对永恒和神秘的追求。他旨在超越一切理智跟感官认知，追寻人生的终极哲学—赤裸又神圣的宗教体验与感情。

马克·罗斯科已将绘画减化至体积、色调与色彩，很多他的绘画的尺幅都很大，当中不少画作的高度约达10呎，阔度有时达至15呎，适合在公共场所摆设。以巨大颜色方块画作而闻名于世的罗斯科，后期画作(1958年以后) 由经常喜用大红、大橙、大蓝、大绿等斑斓色彩，转而使用深红、褐紫红、啡和黑色等较深沉的颜色。他的经典作品大多以两至四个长形方块为主体，方块以垂直形式排列在色彩鲜艳的底色之上，有些配以朦胧色块。罗斯科的抽象画全创作于其人生最后二十年。

马克·罗斯科认为自己不是抽象画家，他更注重精神的表达。他说：“我对色彩与形式的关系以及其它的关系并没有兴趣……我唯一感兴趣的是表达人的基本情绪，悲剧的、狂喜的、毁灭的等等。”他要在西方的传统文化中找到今天西方文明的根。他认为现代人的内心体验没有离开从古至今的传统，因此要表现精神的内涵需要追溯到希腊的文化传统中去，尤其是希腊文明中的悲剧意识，这是最深刻的西方文化之源。在他画出成熟的抽象画之前，他对希腊、罗马艺术投注了很多的注意。从希腊传统中他吸收了希腊悲剧精神中的人与自然的冲突，个人与群体的冲突的矛盾状态。在他看来这些冲突概括了人的生存的基本情形。由于他追求表达的清晰，追求去掉一切与观念无关的东西，他最后发展出了一种全黑的画面，在黑色中他找到了和他的悲剧意识完全吻合的形式，而且是不可再简的形式。

 油画《蓝色中的白色和绿色》是马克·罗斯科的代表作。画面上，绿色和白色的矩形排列在蓝色的底子上。矩形的边缘没有被明确地界定，颜色也相互渗透融合，这使得块面仿佛是从背景上隐约浮现出来，并且不断地徘徊、浮动着。它们在画面上产生某种韵律，温和、舒缓而深沉，触动着人们的心灵。暗淡的色彩给画面抹上一层神秘的、悲剧性的感觉，白色的区域则透出信心和潜力。罗斯科后期的作品，色调更加阴暗，仿佛淹没在日益加深的痛苦之中。他甚至让画面变为全黑，以表达其悲剧的意识。他60年代所作的壁画，带有某种崇高之感。

油画《白色中心》是于1950所创作，自1960年以来该画一直由纽约慈善家戴维·洛克菲勒收藏。《白色中心》以一抹白色居中，夹着一团黄色、一线桃红色在下和玫瑰淡紫色在上。该作品构图极为精简，但色彩条纹排列却散发出奥妙，充分体现作者的抽象表现主义。索思比拍卖行2007年05月15日晚于纽约举行的名画拍卖会上，《白色中心》最终以7280万美元的高价成交。

 有艺评者认为他运用大量纯净的色彩表达无形的思想, 作品总蕴含着一种或淡或浓的沉郁，营造出或朴素或诗意，以至充满戏剧性的气氛和效果。

 The status and evaluation of the Abstract Expressionist painters Pollock, De Kooning and Newman seem to be only a foil role, and only a few painters engaged in abstract art in China regard him as a master. However, according to the research data, Greenberg, a famous American critic, introduced modernist art representing American native style in the way of common name criticism, which was not fully recognized in Roscoe's discourse and was always doubtful of the authenticity of the naming. Although he shared fame and benefits in his lifetime. The definition of the art movement is often presupposed and vague, and it can not exactly show the most profound artists in the movement, even if it successfully interprets others.

Strictly speaking, the establishment of Mark Roscoe's master status was after the 1990s. It can be said that two writing events had a decisive impact. One was Jemese B. Breslin's Biography of Roscoe (1993), a nearly 600-page biography with detailed personal data, survey interviews and interviews. The critical narrative shows Roscoe's art and life; shows the complex tension, contradiction and conflict in his liberal personality; explains the social, historical and cultural power of his life and the form of his works; shows how life affects his works and how works affect his life; and provides a kind of artistic circle with a new way. The highly professional panoramic interpretation of Roscoe's works surpasses Roscoe's rebellious and self-destructive symbol of genius. The second is Roscoe's theoretical work Art Philosophy: The Truth of Artists, which was published at Yale University in 2004. His son Christopher Mark Roscoe emphasized in the preface that it was not a guide to Mark Roscoe's works. However, this book can undoubtedly serve as the key to the mystery of Roscoe's art. This is because Roscoe completely stopped painting in the Surrealist style in 1940 and 1941 before the turn of abstraction. He devoted himself to mythology, philosophy and literature, and continued his theoretical writing, although this book was not. His own creative ideas and specific explanations of the meaning of his works, but it profoundly predicts.

Its artistic ideal, the populism and materialism criticized in the book are also the fatal root of the collapse of avant-garde art. As the analytic philosopher Arthur C. Danto concluded in The End of Art, we have entered a post-historical period of art, and the need for continuous self-revolution of art has disappeared. The artistic atmosphere of post-history will make art turn to the purpose of human nature. Contemporary art has entered a more stable and happy period of artistic efforts, in this period. The basic needs that art always responds to may come together again. It can be said that Mark Roscoe's philosophy of art "responds to" the "basic needs", which is also the eternal and tragic spirit of art.

The art market has never been a positive frame of reference, but its exogenous practice proves that it thrives because of the illusion of novelty, and that capitalism is essentially nihility and greed. It needs to constantly transform the symbolic capital of avant-garde art into monetary capital. The goal is not other, but to continue the capital cyclically. Ben's myth.

For example, in September 2007, Sotheby's auction house auctioned 45 valuable paintings by impressionists, modernists and contemporary masters at a famous painting auction held late in New York on the 15th local time. Mark Rothko's painting "White Center: Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose Red" has been popular. Insiders had previously estimated that Roscoe's work, created in 1950, would fetch $40 million, but it was eventually sold for $72.8 million after competing bids. According to the statistics, from 1998 to 2007, the flow rate of Mark Roscoe's works was only 9%. Its stable market situation also witnessed the rapid development of post-war and contemporary art. In 1966, Mark Roscoe's work Red 22 sold for $15.5 million. Twenty years later, similar works began to break through the $1 million mark. Such a rapid price surge has become even more evident since 1999. Take high-priced works as an example: in 1999, his work "Northern 15 degrees: yellow and red" broke through the $10 million mark for the first time, and nine years later, similar works "No. 15" reached $504.41 million. On May 15, 2007, Sotheby's Spring Shot in Hong Kong, Mark Roscoe's work "White Center" has set the highest price of his work - 72.84 million US dollars. This achievement also set the highest price record for postwar and contemporary artists'works in 2007.

"When I was young, art was a lonely road. There was no gallery, no collector, no critic, no money. But it was a golden age, because we all had nothing, but we could pursue our ideals more recklessly. Today's situation is different. It's an age of redundancy, stupidity and consumption. I'm afraid I'm not qualified to comment on which situation is better for the world. But I know that many people live this kind of life involuntarily, and there is an urgent need for a quiet space for us to take root and grow. We have to live with the hope we can find." This was Roscoe's indignant talk to visitors in his studio in 1955, "I can show my paintings in a hundred places. But I can't make any money. I can give a speech. But they don't pay for the speech. Someone wrote about me. My works are on display everywhere. I can't earn 1,300 yuan a year. It can be seen that Mark Roscoe's great reputation and wealth won after his death are in sharp contrast to his previous hardship, anxiety and struggle. Just like Van Gogh, they only had the freedom to starve to death during their lifetime and adhered to the freedom of artistic conscience. This tragic spirit chose artists with saintly qualities. It is not fate at all, but God's justice and grace. Ignorance is not a condition of genius. Genius is given by God, concepts are invented, paradigms are established, martyrdom for the future, and faith in heaven and earth are revealed. This may be far from materialism and realism, but it has become a complex and profound ideological proposition of Roscoe's philosophy of art: how do artists choose and pursue their own truth? What is the authenticity of art? Where are artists'consciences and responsibilities rooted? Mark Roscoe writes in this book: "The difference between the fate of artists in the past and that of artists in the past is precisely that we have the right to choose. This is because choice reflects whether a person is responsible for his conscience. For the conscience of artists, the most important thing is the authenticity of art." This passage can be regarded as a concise index of his obscure philosophy of art.

However, to truly understand Mark Roscoe's philosophy of art, it is necessary to first understand his life, and then to interpret his works, especially after the abstract transformation in the 1950s. Of course, there is also a ready-made key, which is the preface written by Christopher, the son of Roscoe. He not only describes in detail the 34 years he and his family spent searching for the complete manuscript and editing process of the book, but also makes a credible interpretation and analysis of the content of the book as an expert of the Art Museum. Dual faithful biography and theoretical writing are very necessary and valuable. Now let's go from Mark Roscoe's life and creation to his philosophy of art.

On September 25, 1903, Mark Roscoe was born in a Jewish family in Devinsk, Vitebsk, Russia. He was the youngest of four children and spent his childhood in a strong Jewish cultural and religious environment. The family moved to Oregon in 1913. Soon after, Mark had to sell newspapers to make money to subsidize his tuition fees when his father, who had started his business in the United States, died. At the age of 21, he was awarded a scholarship to Yale University. His scholarship was cancelled six months later because of anti-Semitism. So he had to work in his cousin's restaurant while studying. In his third year of college, he suddenly dropped out of school and went to a clothing factory in New York to work as a tailor. The following year he joined the Student Association of New York University of Fine Arts to study fine arts. He also worked as a supporting actor, stage background painter and lighting technician in the theatre on Broadway.

In 1929, he worked as a part-time teacher at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Brooklyn, New York, and began his 30-year teaching career. In the same year, his paintings were exhibited for the first time in Opportunity Gallery. When she got married in the early 1930s, her wife, Edith, succeeded commercially in designing jewelry, but she despised his painter friends and criticized their works roughly. Roscoe's disdain for popular culture and practical art has thus been planted.

Several solo exhibitions were held in 1933, funded by the Federal Arts Program of the United States Government, and employed by the Government at a wage of $23.5 per week. During this period, I met Asier Gorky, De Cunning and Jackson Pollock, who later became famous abstract expressionist painters. In 1935, he became one of the founders of the group of ten expressionist painters. Mark Roscoe's 1930s works, such as Landscape, Sitting Man, Street View and Lady Sitting Cross-legged, have subtle colors, concise composition, deliberate deformation and exaggeration in shape, dreamlike city scenery and surrealist style.

He joined the United States in 1938. During this period, the style of his works began to change, and the characters in Underground Rhapsody (1940) were symbolized, which was a preview to abstractism. Since then, the expression of "sadness of life" has become the main theme of the painting. It is believed that only by using fragmented and twisted shapes can it be expressed, showing an abstract appearance of "organic" graphics. Such as Untitled in 1940, Waterplay and Source, etc.

During World War II, Roscoe divorced Edith and soon married Mary Alice, a 23-year-old illustrator of children's books. In 1945, the first important individual painting exhibition was held at Guggenheim Museum of Art, which was well received by critics. Roscoe's painting style has been constantly changing, until 1947, mature pure abstract style began to appear. Since 1949, he has abandoned his existing modeling habits and painted some large rectangular works with simple pictures, overlapping colors and blurred edges.

Although Roque Roscoe's reputation grew rapidly, he was still very poor. To support his family, he went to Brooklyn College as a full-time art teacher in 1950. He resigned in 1954 because of discord with his colleagues. He is stubborn by nature and has a rigid attitude towards life. In 1952, Whitney Museum wanted to buy two of his paintings. He not only refused to sell them, but also called this important art museum a "junk shop". In the same year, at the invitation of the Museum of Modern Art, he participated in the exhibition of "15 American Painters". When he came to the exhibition, the paintings he sent were totally different from those he had previously agreed upon, which made the art director of the Museum very angry.

At the same time, his relationship with Pollock and Newman was very tense. He claimed that he had taught Newman how to draw, thus damaging their friendship.

In the 1950s, Mark Roscoe's reputation rose steadily and his economic situation improved greatly. In 1958, he was selected as the representative of the United States at the Venice International Exposition and owns a studio in Provence, Massachusetts, where artists live. At this time, his depression burst out, becoming more and more nervous and depressed. He needs to concentrate on all the things he can do to paint the huge works that seem calm and quiet. For him, the process of painting was similar to religious rituals. He kept the painting process a secret and never showed up until his work was finished. He often stays up all night, working from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. the next day. When he painted under the intense light of the theatre stage, he arranged the light dimmer, so that his strong large color blocks emerged from the environment, as if suspended in the air, causing a strong shock. In 1961, Mark Roscoe held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, reaching the pinnacle of his artistic career. Collectors, brokers, critics flocked to the scene, and even President Kennedy came to the audience with three points of respect.

Since then, the rise of pop art has challenged Abstract expressionism, and with the growing tension of marriage, Mark Roscoe's mood deteriorated and began to drink heavily, seriously damaging his nerves and health. On New Year's Day, 1969, Mark Roscoe left home and moved to his studio, where he spent a whole year drawing the last batch of works. The cynical and recalcitrant Roscoe had few relatives and friends. He was surrounded by his friends and wife, Mel, who had lived with him for 20 years in the arts, and friends died one by one. In 1948, Gorky, a friend who had lived with him for 20 years, committed suicide; in May 1953, Tomlin, 54, went to Pollock's home on Long Island for a party, went home the next day and died of a heart attack; in August 1956, Pollock, 42, drove an Ozmobil convertible into an accident. In 1962, Klein died of heart disease in Paris at the age of 34; in 1963, Baziotes at the age of 51; in 1965, David Smith died of a car accident; and on February 25, 1970, he cut the blood vessels and nerves of his wrist with a razor and killed himself by suicide. However, when the artist committed suicide in his Manhattan studio during his illness and despair, it also triggered one of the most sensational art scandals of the 20th century. In three months, his agent, Lloyd, won more than 800 paintings from Mark Roscoe's legacy at a much lower market price. Later, the broker became the defendant and began the longest and most costly legal struggle in the history of art, experiencing four years of litigation and eight months of criminal trial. The defendant eventually paid a fine of $9.2 million plus a 200-hour social service penalty. The estate was redistributed, about half of which went to Mark Roscoe's two children. This incident fully exposed the dark curtain in the field of elegant and decent art trade. This is one of Christopher's most disgusting and heartbreaking lawsuits mentioned in his preface.