Artificial Beauty

This is a painting from my favorite artist, Mark Rothko.  There is something so hypnotic about the dozens of layers of paint Rothko spent days brushing onto this canvas.  It is man made, but there was something oddly organic about it as it just seemed to absorb me.  I don't think you can simply look at a Rothko they way you can look at a Van Gogh or even a Lichtenstein.  A Rothko looks back.  At you.  I was transfixed.  

Schools.  If that isn't a perfect illustration of beauty, then I don't know what is.  This is my building at UND, the Education building.  The window on the bottom right is my classroom, #12.  I spend Tuesday nights fall semester with 32 college students.  The three hours goes by in about 15 minutes.  That is beautiful, but I think this building, simple brick and mortar, is also beautiful.  All those bricks have form, purpose, and structure.  Think of all the great books, thoughts, and minds that building has housed and helped produce over the decades!