“… the ‘Butterflies’ are fairly planned out. They’re still intuitive, but I generally know where they’re going. It’s a different kind of freedom, a different kind of expressionism. It’s personal without being overly personal.” Mark Grotjahn, 2007.
Mark Grotjahn's intricate colored pencil drawing on Strathmore 400 Bristol paper belongs to his celebrated "Butterfly" series, in which radiating lines fan outward from multiple vanishing points to create a symmetrical, wing-like composition. The work demonstrates Grotjahn's meticulous yet expressive mark-making, as densely layered colored pencil strokes build a vibrating field of color and geometry. Balancing careful planning with intuitive decision-making, the piece reflects Grotjahn's distinctive approach to abstraction — one that is deeply personal while remaining formally disciplined.
- Medium
- colored pencil on Strathmore 400 Bristol paper
- Spotted At
- Auction House · Phillips
🔨 Auction Lot
Contemporary Art Day Sale
November 14, 2014
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."
Untitled (Black and Brown Butterfly 647a & 647b)
2006
Spotted works by Mark Grotjahn
Start the Discussion
Request access to join the discussion