Painter Colin Chillag admits to being currently obsessed with Abstract Expressionist Mark Rothko. He is particularly taken with the constant mystical longing and spiritual attitude that infuses Rothko's work, setting it apart from other modernists of this art historical era.

In Chillag's quest to determine what Rothko might favor in terms of style and content in order to produce work diametrically opposed to both, Chillag has created a painting that clearly references his semi-religious quest to understand the highly respected Rothko's enigmatic mindset and vision. On a formal level, Chillag's painting directly refers to the unmistakable style of Rothko. However, Chillag's personal twist is the use of pop cultural icons to create his Rothko-like color field composition.

Colin Chillag attended San Francisco Art Institute. His work has been included in exhibitions at: Modified, Phoenix, AZ; The Boonville Hotel, Boonville, CA; Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco, CA; and the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA. He was Co-founder of Johnslog Gallery in Seattle, WA.

Contact artist Colin Chillag with questions about his work for
nooks and crannies by e-mail at colinchillagnooksandcrannies@hotmail.com

John D. Spiak
Curatorial Museum Specialist
Arizona State University Art Museum