.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
In Untitled (Capri 50.11), Mark Grotjahn transports us to the vibrant eastern side of Capri, Italy, where the island's essence unfolds through explosive colors and dynamic gestures. Executed in 2017, this work vividly captures Grotjahn’s transformative experience living amidst the island's natural splendor.
Emanating an energetic aura, Untitled (Capri 50.11) is a testament to Grotjahn's profound reflections on Capri's landscape, meticulously rendered with rich hues of aquamarine and emerald green punctuated by bursts of red, yellow and orange. These vibrant colors are applied with concise, curvilinear strokes that rhythmically integrate into the composition, creating a fusion of spontaneity and conceptual depth. What makes this work especially distinct is its use of tally marks or "slugs," a rare feature in his Capri series, that ground the otherwise free-flowing brushstrokes. In both its formal rigor and visual splendor, Untitled (Capri 50.11) exemplifies Grotjahn's artistic evolution within this distinct body of work, pushing the boundaries of abstract painting.
The Capri paintings are part of an interconnected series of works, also including the New Capri and Free Capri. This new series, beginning in 2016 with the New Capri paintings, marked a significant departure from Grotjahn’s renowned Face paintings. Whereas the Face paintings have references to figures through the veiled rendering of mask-like faces, the Capri paintings are completely abstract, while still capturing an emotive quality through their expressive abstraction and kaleidoscopic hues akin to the Face paintings. Grotjahn’s transition to the Capri paintings reflects his creative ambition to break new ground: “I’m a sucker for exotic locations associated with art and artists… and I wanted to start something new—a body of work that would take me away from what I had been doing. I approached the whole thing as a journey, not just to Capri, but within my painting” (M. Auping, “The Nature of Mark Grotjahn,” Gagosian Quarterly, digital). Inspired by Casa Malaparte, where he resided during his Capri sojourn, Grotjahn blends painting with geological patterns and historical motifs. Casa Malaparte is a house deeply enriched in Italian history, originally built for Italian writer Curzio Malaparte in the 1930s. Conceived in 1937, Casa Malaparte was a trailblazing design within modern architecture, and due to its iconic status, became a popular location for motion pictures and luxury brand campaigns. While there are clear connections to the landscape surrounding Casa Malaparte in the cerulean seas and earthy greens of the pine trees in the painting’s color palette, Untitled (Capri 50.11) also lends inspiration from the home’s architecture, emulating the stepped roof through the corrugated cardboard support.
As a pinnacle of Grotjahn’s exploration into the intersection of art, architecture and environment, Untitled (Capri 50.11) invites viewers to delve into its rich references and visual intricacies through energetic colors and forms. This mastery in capturing essence through an abstract lens distinguishes Grotjahn and the Capri series within the greater scope of Contemporary painting.
Emanating an energetic aura, Untitled (Capri 50.11) is a testament to Grotjahn's profound reflections on Capri's landscape, meticulously rendered with rich hues of aquamarine and emerald green punctuated by bursts of red, yellow and orange. These vibrant colors are applied with concise, curvilinear strokes that rhythmically integrate into the composition, creating a fusion of spontaneity and conceptual depth. What makes this work especially distinct is its use of tally marks or "slugs," a rare feature in his Capri series, that ground the otherwise free-flowing brushstrokes. In both its formal rigor and visual splendor, Untitled (Capri 50.11) exemplifies Grotjahn's artistic evolution within this distinct body of work, pushing the boundaries of abstract painting.
The Capri paintings are part of an interconnected series of works, also including the New Capri and Free Capri. This new series, beginning in 2016 with the New Capri paintings, marked a significant departure from Grotjahn’s renowned Face paintings. Whereas the Face paintings have references to figures through the veiled rendering of mask-like faces, the Capri paintings are completely abstract, while still capturing an emotive quality through their expressive abstraction and kaleidoscopic hues akin to the Face paintings. Grotjahn’s transition to the Capri paintings reflects his creative ambition to break new ground: “I’m a sucker for exotic locations associated with art and artists… and I wanted to start something new—a body of work that would take me away from what I had been doing. I approached the whole thing as a journey, not just to Capri, but within my painting” (M. Auping, “The Nature of Mark Grotjahn,” Gagosian Quarterly, digital). Inspired by Casa Malaparte, where he resided during his Capri sojourn, Grotjahn blends painting with geological patterns and historical motifs. Casa Malaparte is a house deeply enriched in Italian history, originally built for Italian writer Curzio Malaparte in the 1930s. Conceived in 1937, Casa Malaparte was a trailblazing design within modern architecture, and due to its iconic status, became a popular location for motion pictures and luxury brand campaigns. While there are clear connections to the landscape surrounding Casa Malaparte in the cerulean seas and earthy greens of the pine trees in the painting’s color palette, Untitled (Capri 50.11) also lends inspiration from the home’s architecture, emulating the stepped roof through the corrugated cardboard support.
As a pinnacle of Grotjahn’s exploration into the intersection of art, architecture and environment, Untitled (Capri 50.11) invites viewers to delve into its rich references and visual intricacies through energetic colors and forms. This mastery in capturing essence through an abstract lens distinguishes Grotjahn and the Capri series within the greater scope of Contemporary painting.