Butterfly (Black, Red, Orange)

A dynamic composition of radiating lines emanates from multiple vanishing points, creating the illusion of layered, wing-like forms that pulse with energy across the paper. Grotjahn works in densely layered strokes of black, red, and orange colored pencil, building rich, tactile surfaces that shift in depth and intensity. The work exemplifies his signature Butterfly series, in which geometric precision and raw mark-making converge to produce an almost hypnotic sense of movement and structural tension.

Medium: colored pencil on paper
Spotted At: Auction House · Phillips

🔨 Auction Lot

Contemporary Art & Design Evening Sale

March 7, 2013

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More by Mark Grotjahn

Untitled (Tuscan Red and Pink Rose Butterfly 45.90)

2015

"The ‘Face Paintings’ allow me to express myself in a way that the ‘Butterflies’ don’t. I have an idea as to what sort of face is going to happen when I do a ‘Face Painting,’ but I don’t exactly know what color it will take, or how many eyes it’s going to have, whereas the ‘Butterflies’ are fairly planned out. They’re still intuitive, but I generally know where they are going. It’s a different kind of freedom, a different kind of expressionism. It’s personal without being overtly personal."