Rothko’s Flaw

Rothko described Pollock as a “continuous and self sustaining advertising concern.” I think he was talking about himself, because his work depends so much on the caption he provided. The flaw in Rothko’s work is that it is two things, a painting and an attached meaning, namely his subjectivity, copy written as deep. Pollock’s silence has no bearing on the integrity of his work, but then Rothko is partly right: the integrity, wholeness and singularity of Pollock’s work is the best possible advertisement for itself.