Did you know there was a Rothko Chapel? I guess that's one reason to visit Houston.
I'm not an abstractionist... I'm not interested in the relationship of color or form or anything else. I'm interested only in expressing basic human emotions: tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on. And the fact that people break down and cry when confronted with my pictures shows that I can communicate those basic human emotions... the people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience I had when painting them. And if you say you are moved only by their color relationships then you miss the point.
If you're not sure why this is a surprising thing (well, it was to me anyway) for Rothko to say, here's a sample of some of his paintings.
I love that place. It's one of my favourite places in the world. Worth the trip. Also the Meniil collection, right around the corner.
The Rothko Chapel is the single most peaceful spiritual space I've ever been in (of those built by humans, that is). And I've been in cathedrals and temples etc. all over the world, so I don't say that lightly.
Of course, his paintings really affect me quite a bit, too.