Roy Mullins

Rothko Chapel

General Description

The Mission Statement for Rothko Chapel states the purpose of the Chapel in simple elegant terminology, “The Rothko Chapel is a sacred space, open to all, established to advance human rights, interfaith understanding and justice.”
The Rothko Chapel was dedicated in 1971 after a building process that took seven years from the time it was commissioned by the John and Dominique de Meril family. The chapel presents an unassuming exterior of beige brick walls, unpierced by windows and with unobtrusive and understated entrances. The building is simple. In this simplicity it eludes the exclusion of any and avoids any obvious connection to a particular idea of the sacred. Although not actually a part of the structure, the reflecting pool that contains Barnett Newman’s sculpture, “Broken Obelisk” contributes to the visitor’s adopting a mood of peace and reverence as one enters the building.

Architectural Design

The Rothko Chapel was originally commissioned by Dominique and John Meril as part of Phillip Johnson’s design for the University of St. Thomas campus in Houston, Texas. Later the Meril’s dissociated themselves and their project from the university. The interior of the chapel contains fourteen paintings commissioned from Mark Rothko and he worked closely with Johnson in the design of the structure. Rothko erected a mock up of the planned design for the chapel in his New York studio and he insisted that the chapel recreate every nuance of lighting and environment. Johnson eventually resigned from the project but returning later in a consulting role he designed the main entrance to the chapel and the reflecting pool for Barnett Newman’s sculpture, “Broken Obelisk.”

Harmony with Nature

The Rothko Chapel creates a contrast with its surroundings rather than a harmony. It is stark and angular but surrounded by trees and it has a reflecting pool with an equally angular obelisk. This contrast between the natural and the manufactured is effective in acknowledging the coming together of two essentially different aspects of Being, that of the human and of the divine or spiritual. Moving from the tree lined park-like environment toward the cubistic structure one’s appreciation for the distance from nature and spirit that is created by the artifacts of man is confirmation that a quieter, more reflective place for an approach to the ineffable is in order. Entering the chapel the spare surroundings focus the visitors’ attention onto the huge paintings that dominate the walls. These paintings were created by Mark Rothko with intent that “the viewer might experience a sense of intimacy, as well as awe, a transcendence of the individual, and a sense of the unknown.”

Symbolism and Sacred Objects

At the dedication of the Rothko Chapel in 1971, Dominique Meril remarked, “We are cluttered with images and only abstract art can bring us to the threshold of the divine.” It is in the spirit of that statement that Rothko’s fourteen paintings establish a mood of meditative reflection devoid of any representational imagery that would iconically invoke a particular object of worship, deity or God. The chapel is designed to evoke a meditative experience that will lead the visitor to experience that personal interaction with the Other that is most often associated with worship.

How it is used by Worshippers

Rothko Chapel is, according to their website, “A sacred space open to all, established to advance human rights, interfaith understanding, and justice.” On the calendar for the chapel in April are gatherings and services of various sorts including, modern Turkish Sufi music, A presentation on human rights under the Obama administration, an arts community open house, a presentation of Gnostic songs interpreting the Gnostic gospels, and a Hindu Kirtan. The chapel is intended to serve as a sanctuary for all religions and denominations and serves as a temporary place for celebrations and worship for organizations that have no spiritual home.
Sources

1. Rothko Chapel. History of the Chapel. http://www.rothkochapel.org/history.htm
2. Rothko Chapel. Programs. http://www.rothkochapel.org/events.htm
3. Images of the Rothko Chapel. http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/texas/houston/rothko/chapel.html
4. Rothko Chapel. View the Floor plan. http://www.rothkochapel.org/floorplan.htm
5. Mark Rothko. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Rothko
6. Houston Press. Blogs. Hair Balls. “Rothko Chapel: Yahoo! Says To See It Before You Die. (That Way You'll Be Depressed Enough, At Least),” http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2009/03/rothko_chapel_before_die.php