Simon Schama's Power of Art - Rothko, part 2 of 7

[withConor]

did he wash his hands after the chicken sequence?

[cszemis]

Oh Simon, I love watching you cook and talking about Jewish backgrounds. You're awesome. Btw, you fidget and wave your hands around when you have big ideas, we've seen you on Question Time. Don't pretend you're not like that yourself.

[melissainnovascotia]

Michaelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel and Rothko painted a liquor store. Sign of the times, I guess.

[vikramkrishnan]

Why has Simon turned into Nigella? What has that chicken soup got to do with Rothko?

[Judel100]

@vikramkrishnan It's classic Ashkenazi-Jewish home recipe! Also known as the "Jewish penicillin"!

[vikramkrishnan]

@Judel100 So next time he presents Michelangelo, should I expect to find him making a Spaghetti Pomodoro? :P

[Judel100]

@vikramkrishnan Funny guy! If he were Italian I would expect him to indulge in a little gastronomic nationalism (as Italians are wont to do) - but he isn't. Schama is the son of East European Jews and I guess this is his way of demonstrating a strong personal affinity for Rothko's background. Yes, it's a little self-indulgent, but hey, why not?

[dubj630]

This is a sublime episode from a sublime series. It is just perfectly done. I especially love the swelling, pulsating music, that represents in sound, Rothko's work. I understand people's frustration at Rothko being given such a privileged position among the other master's in the series. But who cares? It's called SIMON SCHAMA'S Power of Art. This episode is so beautiful, even if you don't like Rothko's work. I have to say, this episode gave me appreciation for Rothko's work.

[danielbalter]

Oh please please please less shots of the actors face and of him smoking--I know what smoking people look like.

[amphibian200]

I really like these but, Simon, there is no reason for you to do this while in your kitchen cooking some random assortment of vegetables.

[zw0ecool]

@Ozzrya91 Rothko's paintings are pretty cool...I wouldn't mind having one of his paintings in my bachelor pad, would give it a nice sophisticated look. Look up his pictures on google images. 

[kowloon89]

am i the only one that wants to try that stew thing he was making?- chunky carrots, leeks, herbs, onions, thick chicken- nothing like it to distract from the commentary!

[uncompromising34]

lol i love simon schama, but hes over egging the irony a bit with the soundtrack lol. Hes wonderfull though

[ThePsychoSarah]

why is schama cooking o.o

[edinger]

is that one of swoon's wheat paste poster on1:07 awesome.

[SCORNDOGGMELACH]

Can anyone tell me what poem and what poet was used at the end of this tube?

[kowloon89]

@SCORNDOGGMELACH It is an extract from T.S Eliot's 'The Wasteland' early 1920's.

[SCORNDOGGMELACH]

@kowloon89 Thanks so much

[KingCrimsonIV]

I respect everyones opinion on art esp.. but with the complete disregard of rothko as a painter is sickening rothk was more about life experiences and meaningless pop cultrure glitter he put his beliefs into it something most artisit cant commit to he infact made you look into his art and dare see something other than the shallow percipitions of your own mind

[spactick]

@Ozzrya91 Mondrian sucks? Oh really? My friend, most of what we call modern architecture comes out of Mondrian. You might right now be sitting in a structure that was inspired by Mondrian. He laid the groundwork for the International School.

[cacaorocks]

fuck the talking man

[sirtheos]

Hahahaha, it is quiet funny when he cooks!

[Nurit9]

only in expressing basic human emotions — tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on. And the fact that a lot of people break down and cry when confronted with my pictures shows that I can communicate those basic human emotions . . . The people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience I had when I painted them. And if you, as you say, are moved only by their color relationship, then you miss the point.

[Marenqo]

Rothko is a lot more human than I expected, quite interesting thanks for upoading

[D4Shawn]

"He would sit for hours... trying to decide whether to paint a rectangle or a square."

[dhype3]

the entire 'Jew' section about Rothko's heritage is what they call "tongue and cheek" and it embarrasses me that I have to be the one to explain that, as his visual and voice cues should make it pretty self evident. There's enough overt racism in the world without having to invent instances of it.

[TSLONER]

Did anyone notice the swoon piece

[lisanpg]

and who are you bagoona? fucking puto ignorante de mierda!

[Hotdogsevvy]

Schama is creating a narrative therefor he is creating a story thats why he is using bias. He is also trying to create an understanding of the mindset in this period, hence his racial remarks hell I dont even see them as racial hes telling a story!

[shabatage]

It's an interpretation... but even if so, I find it's better to do so among your friends than on national television.

[shabatage]

He was just an... educated, ungaimly sentimental jew? That only wanted to make his mother happy? That remark is so prejudice! It's racism with a smile.

[shabatage]

And he continues! "Rothko wasn't the kind of jew that wanted to be a lawer or a stock broker- he was the other kind" - Are there only two types of jews? Disgusting old man! Shame on the BBC for allowing it!

[JNieckarz]

Sarcasm, my friend. That's what he was using. Language is an art also.

Peace

[jpl10380]

@shabatage Dude. Schama is the "other kind" of Jew.

[Hubrizoid]

Schama's jewish

[shabatage]

One can be racist about his own ethniticity, just as a woman can be chauvanistic- if you maintain the same stereotypes.

[Hubrizoid]

One can also kid around with their ethnicities in ways outsiders cannot, which is clearly what Schama was doing.

[carbine125]

The acting is the best perfomance ive seen in a documentary, i think its film worthy.

[rwgds]

At 1:07 in the lower left corner on the wall is a piece by the street artist Swoon. Look her up she has amazing work.

[zoryaodin]

Russia has a lot of Jewish influence, you idiot

[gavindaysaccount]

good answer

[emochuu]

Because he probably didn't fancy living under Stalin where the only accepted form of art was social realism and abstraction was regarded as degenerate

[mtimman]

@emochuu

But, Rothko never lived under Stalin. Since he emigrated in 1913, which was four years before the 1917 Communist Revolution, and almost ten years before Stalin took power in 1922.

[soursourapples]

@emochuu its intresting that there was some russian painters before 1917 like malevich who did similar things to rothko like the black square

[rictit]

I believe that Rothko was an isolated person, not because of its personality, but because of where he was living. I think that Russia was his sentimental place for him to develop his own personality and understanding! I don't know why he never came back to Russia!

[SHMUJEW]

because russia is full of jew hating barbarians

[zoryaodin]

Russia is heavily Jew influenced, idiot..Look at Moscow!

[blooscreenlife]

that's a joke, right?