To many art historians, Rothko ushered in the American abstract expressionism movement. His experiments in color, surface, proportion, and scale brought international acclaim and pushed abstractionism--a movement away from representational, recognizable images-- to the forefront of modern art in the post World War II years.

A current exhibit at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. traces Rothko's journey from early experiments with images and symbols in the 1930s, to later ethereal studies in color. The last paintings were finished in 1970, when Rothko committed suicide at the age of 67.

Born in Russia in 1903, Rothko made his way to New York in the 1920s. He soon found himself amid a frenzied creative atmosphere and a group of dissident American modernists called "The Ten." The group exhibited together in the U.S. and abroad eight times between 1935 and 1939. It included our forum guest, Joseph Solman.

Joseph Solman is 87 years old and still painting. Even though he founded "The Ten" with Rothko, they did not always see eye-to-eye on the aims of art. Their aesthetic styles differed--Solman's work is more representational. But in a NewsHour report, Solman credits Rothko with winning the argument over the power of color.

Joseph Solman answered your questions about Rothko, "The Ten" and his own career. Click here to enter the forum.