I was on the phone with painter and writer Marc Molk a few weeks ago. He was in the middle of the second opening of the show “Ils ont dit oui (They said yes)”. The place was packed (outside, everyone with masks, in the respect of the sanitary restrictions) and everyone was having a fantastic time. Enjoying the presence of the painting and each other.
www.marcmolk.fr
Instagram: @marcmolk
Represented by galeriemargueritemilin.com
It was like travelling back to 2019 when we were all laughing and drinking and eating for free at the openings. Do you remember such a good time ? It was a short interview, since Marc was really busy with all his guests, but it gave me a clear vibe of the whole enterprise : openness and generosity, the love of painting, the passion for art, sharing and enjoying together, being in sync with the Universe, etc. Yes, you know it, it’s everything Passion Painting stands for.
The concept of the show in itself is playful: Molk asked painters to be a part of this show, and as soon as one would say no, the list of artists would be complete. So here is a pretty complete panorama of the artist’s circle: 29 awesome painters brought together by friendship and painting. It should be made into a superhero movie.
Molk then curated carefully the works and assembled the whole show in the space of Marguerite Milin, which is very nice but compared to the size of the group show quite small. It must now have been easy to make the decisions.
It was a great occasion to get to know Marc Molk better. Here is his Passion Painting Interview:
How do you start your day?
With fear in my stomach.
If you were to paint one thing over and over what would it be?
This idea is absolutely repugnant to me. I don’t judge those who work hard on a particular subject, but I can’t. My obsession is with the medium, not the subject.
Do you like exhibiting your work? What do you do on the openings?
No, it’s quite unpleasant. During openings, I do my best to distract visitors from my paintings. Deep down, I am jealous of my paintings. I paint them to attract love to me, not to them. I feel robbed at an exhibition.
What is your favorite place to think about a new painting?
Any place that makes me want to be elsewhere triggers ideas for painting.
What is your relation to past painters, and history of art?
History is an invention of historians, an illusion. The History of Art is also a pure academic construction. When we paint, the age of the paintings that intrigue us is of no importance. All that is beautiful is here now entirely new.
Which question would you like to ask your painting Idol?
Can I watch you paint ?
How did you develop this work you’re doing now?
By dint of successive and increasingly sophisticated failures.
How did you meet your favorite collector ?
She approached me in the street.
Why do we still paint in 2021 ?
Why still make music in 2021 ? Why still cook in 2021 ? Why still write novels in 2021 ? Why still cry, make love, pee, shit, die in 2021 ? So many unhealthy questions.
Where is Painting heading?
It is like water, it seeps into the smallest crack. Painting goes where the real is disjointed.
Can you tell me 3 colleagues whose work you admire?
3 is not enough but here are 3 names that come to my mind at this moment :
Jenna Gribbon, Guillaume Pinard, Miriam Cahn.
Thank you Marc, and thank you reader.
All images belong to the Artist.
