{"id":2019364,"date":"2026-06-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2019364"},"modified":"2026-06-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T21:00:00","slug":"mark-rothkos-color-fields-mirror-the-elements-in-a-weather-to-painting-experiment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2019364","title":{"rendered":"Mark Rothko\u2019s Color Fields Mirror the Elements in a \u2018Weather-to-Painting Experiment\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1035\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/current-rothko-6.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a website screenshot with a series of 10 paintings by Mark Rothko on a black background\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">All images courtesy of Joonas Virtanen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Mark Rothko\u2019s Color Fields Mirror the Elements in a \u2018Weather-to-Painting Experiment\u2019<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-06-30T08:52:49-05:00\">June 30, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><a class=\"category-design\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/design\/\" rel=\"tag\">Design<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F06%2Fmark-rothko-weather-joonas-virtanen-website-design%2F&amp;title=Mark%20Rothko%27s%20Color%20Fields%20Mirror%20the%20Elements%20in%20a%20%26%238216%3BWeather-to-Painting%20Experiment%27\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"475471\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nga.gov\/artists\/1839-mark-rothko\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mark Rothko<\/a> is known for his \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tate.org.uk\/art\/art-terms\/c\/colour-field-painting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">color field<\/a>\u201d paintings, a genre that was coined in the 1950s to describe his work specifically, along with peers like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moma.org\/artists\/4285-barnett-newman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Barnett Newman<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/clyffordstillmuseum.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Clyfford Still<\/a>. These works are generally characterized by their total abstraction and emphasis on clearly delineated areas, or \u201cfields,\u201d of different hues. One might also think of Josef Albers\u2019 seminal series titled <em>Homage to the Square, <\/em>which delved into the virtually infinite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/color-theory\">relationships between colors<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For Rothko, canvases were often very large, measuring upwards of 10 feet. The works inside the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rothkochapel.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rothko Chapel<\/a> in Houston, for example, are architectonic, commanding the viewer\u2019s complete attention and inviting us to slow down and truly immerse ourselves in a contemplative space. Even on social media, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/artanddesign\/2026\/may\/18\/lets-dress-like-a-mark-rothko-how-gen-z-colour-field-paintings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">new generation<\/a> is discovering the artist\u2019s meditative works as an antidote to visual and information overload. His oeuvre also forms the basis of a project called <em><a href=\"https:\/\/rothko.joonas.wtf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Current Rothko<\/a><\/em> by New York-based designer and creative director <a href=\"https:\/\/www.joonas.wtf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Joonas Virtanen<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/current-rothko-1.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475471\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1012\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/current-rothko-1.jpeg\" alt=\"a website screenshot of a basic weather report for Chicago featuring a bright yellow and orange painting by Mark Rothko\" class=\"wp-image-475473\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>On the elegantly simple website, type in any location in the world and the algorithm will select a Rothko painting representative of the weather there. Currently, the catalogue contains 89 paintings, each of which are tagged with a color register, brightness, temperature, and mood so that the search engine can match them to the conditions of specific places at any moment.<\/p>\n<p>Virtanen has sourced many of the images from WikiArt and WikiMedia, plus fair-use image databases from major institutions like the National Gallery of Art, MoMA, Tate, and others. Rothko\u2019s work remains copyrighted, as artworks generally enter the public domain after 95 years. Access to high-quality imagery is therefore limited to what Virtanan describes as small \u201ccapped\u201d previews that could never be reproduced at scale.<\/p>\n<p>While each image is accompanied by the title of work, the designer acknowledges that the platform is a work in progress, and details such as dimensions and medium would enrich the experience. In the meantime, since I began this article, Chicago has transitioned from 77 degrees and clear with \u201cNo. 5\/No. 22\u201d (1950) to a cloudy, humid 81 degrees with a chance of \u201cBlack on Maroon (Seagram V)\u201d (1958).<\/p>\n<p>For another art historical twist on the weather, check out Virtanen\u2019s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/art.joonas.wtf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plein Air<\/a> <\/em>weather visualizer. And you\u2019re in New York City, you might also get a kick out of his subway status tool, <a href=\"https:\/\/subway.joonas.wtf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tangled Lines<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/current-rothko-4.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475471\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"988\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/current-rothko-4.jpeg\" alt=\"a website screenshot of a basic weather report for Kyoto, Japan, featuring a dark painting by Mark Rothko\" class=\"wp-image-475472\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/current-rothko-5.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475471\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1036\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/current-rothko-5.jpeg\" alt=\"a website screenshot with a series of 10 paintings by Mark Rothko on a black background\" class=\"wp-image-475477\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/current-rothko-2.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475471\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1006\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/current-rothko-2.jpeg\" alt=\"a website screenshot of a basic weather report for Portland, Oregon, featuring a muted burgundy and blue painting by Mark Rothko\" class=\"wp-image-475474\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" 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article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All images courtesy of Joonas Virtanen Mark Rothko\u2019s Color Fields Mirror the Elements in a \u2018Weather-to-Painting Experiment\u2019 June 30, 2026 ArtDesign Kate Mothes Share Email Bookmark Mark Rothko is known for his \u201ccolor field\u201d paintings, a genre that was coined in the 1950s to describe his work specifically, along with peers like Barnett Newman and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2019364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2019364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2019364"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2019364\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2019364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2019364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2019364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}