The Festival of the Opening of the Vintage, Macon

Festival of the Opening of the Vintage

J.M.W. Turner, The Festival of the Opening of the Vintage, Macon, 1802
By THOMAS McCONAHAY

To my endearing friends who have always welcomed and encouraged my growth; I dedicate this to you.

The Festival of the Opening of the Vintage, Macon is one of William Turner’s lesser known works depicting a seemingly plentiful grape harvest of 1802, which he visited and observed during his trip to France in 1801. In this painting, a group of farmers are seen celebrating heavily following a successful harvest they all took part in tending to. Turner’s composition draws the viewer’s attention to the river and the ambient glory of the surroundings, serving to justify the time and energy given by the farmers to the raising of the harvest. To me it represents the payoff of supporting and nurturing someone else.

The past few months have been challenging to say the least but no matter how many times reality has knocked me down, I have been able to rely on my close friends for support and encouragement to keep getting back up. At times when it feels like my effort is all for nothing and the ‘fruits’ of my labor have been spoiled, they have helped me see through to the plentiful harvest that waits if I keep persevering. Through the good and the bad of my development, their warmth has remained unchanged. For that I cannot thank them enough.
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No. 36

Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko, No. 36, 1957
By THOMAS MCCONAHAY

No. 36 (Black Stripe) by Mark Rothko, a portal of indulging reddish oranges overlain by midnight blue, epitomizes the beautiful abstraction of this twentieth century master's work. Rothko's legacy lies within his inner conflict and his relentless perfectionism. Though his craft changed the course of modern artistic expression, his discontent with himself and the world around him lead him to his eventual suicide. In his life, he served as a leader in the war against the human race's impulsive satisfaction with mediocrity. Along with the aforementioned war, Rothko was struggling with the impending commodity-centric nature of the future of modern art. In his career, he found himself stuck in the middle of this; as he strived to refine his craft (and furthermore his influence), it became necessary for him to make compromises in order to be able to have the platforms and resources be desired.

Though this opinion is likely to be heavily opposed, I see strong parallels between the creative mindset of Rothko with twenty-first century musician and designer, Kanye West. They both share unhindered ambition to change the course of innovation in their respective cultures. Like Rothko, West frequently expresses his frustration with the fleeting hunger for brilliance of society. Of all the similarities between these creative geniuses, I am most intrigued by their self-consuming craving for the fulfillment of their artistic vision.
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