Mark Grotjahn

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artist/los angeles

interview by BILL POWERS
portraits by OLIVIER ZAHM
all artworks copyright and courtesy of MARK GROTJHAN

MARK GROTJAHN IN HIS STUDIO, LOS ANGELES

BILL POWERS — Hemingway used to stop writing once he had a good idea. He always wanted to begin the next day with something on deck. Can you relate to that?

MARK GROTJAHN — If I went to work and didn’t know what I was going to do, I would spiral to the point where it might take me a whole day to recover. So I always have the next thing planned out. Someone from my studio will e-mail me a photo of the painting in progress. That way, I can draw over it at home, so when I go back to the studio I start with my notes.

BILL POWERS — John Currin will use transparencies he tapes up over…