Mark Grotjahn
UNTITLED (CAPRI 48.27), 2016
Oil on cardboard
43 3/8 x 35 3/4 in
110.2 x 90.9 cm
Available at Surovek Gallery
Because I have an active and obsessive eye‚ I’m interested in finding as much contentment as I possibly can. In my work I create problems and then solve them in order to feel peace. —Mark Grotjahn
A sculpture by Mark Grotjahn is part of the new look of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.
The renovation of the 1.4-acre garden on the National Mall began in 2020 and is expected to be completed by October 2026. The garden was originally designed in 1974. The renovation is being done to make the garden more comfortable and welcoming to visitors. Around 150,000 visitors tour the garden every year. It is hoped that the new design will attract about three times as many.
Mark Grotjahn is known for his whimsical sculptures and for his textured, bold colored paintings. He was born in Pasadena, California in 1968, received a BFA from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an MFA from the University of California at Berkeley.
Grotjahn began painting his Capri series in 2016. The original works in the series were done for a private presentation at Casa Malaparte in Capri, Italy. After the exhibition, Grotjahn continued the series, using thick paint, scraping away some areas and placing that paint in other parts of the canvas. UNTITLED (CAPRI 48.27) is available at Surovek Gallery.
His works can be found at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; and many other major American and international institutions.
Mark Grotjahn lives and works in Los Angeles.
John Frederick Herring Jr (c. 1820-1907) was taught, and mentored by his father, painter John Frederick Herring Sr. Herring’s two brothers were painters as were his two brothers-in-law and his wife.
John Frederick Herring Jr distinguished himself by the details in his works, as seen in Full Cry, available at Surovek Gallery. Although his father was a superb artist, with Queen Victoria for a patron, his son’s success compelled him to add ‘Sr’ to his signature to differentiate his works from his son’s.
John Frederick Herring Jr’s works can be found at the Tate and other major venues around the world.
References:
Gabriella Angeleti. Hirshhorn Museum’s revamped sculpture garden will feature new acquisitions by Mark Grotjahn, Lauren Halsey and more. The Art Newspaper. March 26, 2026.
Please contact us if you would like more information about the work of Mark Grotjahn and John Frederick Herring Jr available at Surovek Gallery.
