The painter Mark Rothko was born in Russia (now Latvia) in 1903 and emigrated to the US with his family when he was ten. He didn't really discover his artistic talent until he was in his twenties. Rothko is considered an abstract expressionist painter. Rothko once said he didn't want to "taint" a subject or scene by painting his perspective of it -- therefore, his work basically consists of rich color blends and shapes. Rothko himself once said, "It is a widely accepted notion among painters that it does not matter what one paints as long as it is well painted." His simple art style is much sought-after by commercial decorators, who find his modern paintings the perfect fit for the corporate environment.