Common Ground: The Rothko Chapel and Architectural Activism

The Rothko Chapel is described as “a stillness thatmoves, a quiet disruption, a sanctuary for theseeker” where “any and all are welcome.” In 1964,Dominique and John de Menil commissioned MarkRothko to design a series of site-specific murals fora chapel to be built adjacent to the University ofSt. Thomas in Houston, Texas. This paper aims toestablish a relationship between the architectureand the chapel’s social program through an analysisof Rothko’s use of form as a vehicle for the union ofmatter and spirit, ultimately opening the horizonbetween the self and the other.

Volume Editors
Urs Peter Flueckiger & Victoria McReynolds

ISBN
978-1-944214-16-6