Red: Analysis of Major Characters
"Red: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the dynamic between two central figures: the renowned abstract painter Mark Rothko and his young assistant, Ken. Set against the backdrop of Rothko's prestigious commission to create murals for the Four Seasons restaurant, the narrative delves into themes of artistic integrity, ambition, and generational conflict in the art world. Rothko, portrayed as a confident and domineering figure, is deeply invested in his vision of art's power to provoke thought and emotion. He embodies the struggle between maintaining artistic seriousness and engaging with commercialism, particularly in his disdain for the emerging pop-art movement represented by contemporaries like Andy Warhol.
Ken, on the other hand, is depicted as an aspiring artist who initially appears respectful but gradually finds his voice in challenging Rothko's views. Their interactions reveal a complex relationship where Ken's personal experiences and aspirations conflict with Rothko's established authority and ideals. The play highlights Rothko's eventual disillusionment with the art world, culminating in his decision to reject the commission when he realizes it may compromise his artistic vision. Through their dialogue, the characters engage in a broader conversation about the nature of art, the role of the artist, and the impact of external perceptions on creative expression. The narrative invites exploration of these themes, making it relevant to contemporary discussions about art and its societal implications.
Red: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: John Logan
First published: 2009
Genre: Play
Locale: Mark Rothko's studio, 222 Bowery, New York City
Plot: Biographical drama
Time: 1958–59
Mark Rothko, a character modeled after the real-life American abstract painter of that name, a Russian Jewish immigrant. At the time of the play, Rothko is in his mid-fifties, wearing glasses with thick lenses and paint- and glue-spattered clothes. He smokes, drinks scotch, likes Chinese takeaway food, and keeps to a strict nine-to-five work schedule. He is already famous and has just hired a new assistant, Ken, whom he asks to stand close to his painting and let it “speak to” him, just as the historical Rothko wished of viewers. Rothko is obviously very convinced of his own talent and his towering status among contemporary American painters: he believes he stands in a tradition of famous Western painters ranging from Rembrandt to Matisse to himself. Rothko boasts to Ken that he has just obtained a magnificent commission, for which he was chosen over his contemporary rivals. Rothko is to paint a series of huge murals for the walls of the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City's new Seagram Building, designed by star modernist architects Philip Johnson and Mies van der Rohe. (This commission, the building, and its architects are historical.) Rothko is slightly taken aback when Ken subtly challenges Rothko's vision that his paintings will turn the upscale restaurant into a temple. As Rothko has Ken work for him, the two continually discuss art. Rothko is very domineering and puts Ken down constantly. Slowly, he begins to appreciate some of the things Ken says. However, he is insulted when Ken actually answers “red” when he asks what his huge unfinished painting (invisible to the audience) needs. Visiting an exhibition of the next generation of American pop-art painters upsets Rothko. When he denounces them for not being “serious” artists, Ken begins to challenge him, calling his commission vanity and him a sell-out. Rothko angrily defends himself, asserting that his painting will change the place by forcing people to think by the power of art. Rothko despairs in the end after eating at the Four Seasons. He tells Ken that his paintings will suffer in that expensive, pretentious upscale place. He calls the patrons monkeys and jackals. In front of Ken, Rothko phones Philip Johnson to tell that he will return the commission fee, keep the paintings, and break his contract, just as the historical Rothko did. Ultimately, Rothko fires Ken so the young man can become an independent artist in his own right.
Ken, a fictional American painter in his twenties who works as assistant to Mark Rothko. Initially, he wears a suit and tie out of respect for the master artist and appears subdued and deferential. When Rothko challenges him right away to say what he sees in his painting, Ken simply answers, “Red.” He tells Rothko of his aspiration to become a painter and admits he has not read much Western philosophy and literature. He honestly tells Rothko when questioned that the late American painter Jackson Pollock is his favorite artist. Ken quietly questions whether Rothko's paintings will really work in a restaurant as intended by the artist. As the two men work side by side, Rothko uses Ken to sound off his own ideas about art. Ken suddenly shocks Rothko when he tells him that white is the color of death for him. Pressed about this, Ken reveals that when he was seven, he and his sister discovered their parents murdered in their bedroom in winter by never-caught burglars. Ken angers Rothko when he bluntly answers Rothko's question as to what his new painting needs with “red.” Ken wants Rothko to look at a painting of his own he has brought to the studio. Yet the opportunity never develops, as Rothko is interested only in his own art and his status. When Rothko belittles the new, contemporary American pop artists, Ken takes their side. He becomes increasingly confident in his arguments with Rothko. Ken challenges Rothko's commission and claims that the paintings will not change the diners. He is surprised that Rothko does not fire him for this act of open defiance. In response to Ken's implicit challenge to do so, Rothko rejects the commission. When Rothko suddenly fires him, Ken demands to know why. Asked again what he sees in Rothko's painting, Ken replies, “Red,” and leaves the studio.
Jackson Pollock, a real American abstract painter. Here, he is referred to in dialogue as Mark Rothko's bitter rival. Rothko acknowledges Pollock's genius but chooses to believe Pollock committed suicide because he was burnt out by his success.
Andy Warhol, a real American pop-art pioneer. In the play, Rothko is angered by the lack of artistic seriousness he sees in the work of Warhol and his contemporaries. In their dialogue, Ken defends Warhol and his fellow pop-art painters as the next generation of up-and-coming American artists.