Marc Dennis — Painting the Punchline (EP.293)

You have the mastery of like a 17th century master, and yet you're doing all of these incredibly really fun and very meta pieces. Well, I'm in charge. As the artist, I'm in control of this narrative. Like I can make what I want happen, happen by virtue of visuals. I'm gonna make a painting.

It's gonna be three Jews walking to a bar. They're actually at the museum looking at the painting the same way that I was with the Corbeil. The girl stood in front of me. This is why I like the idea of a painting in a painting. I thought, holy crap, I'm onto something here.

Today's guest paints like a 17th century old master who got dropped into a Ramones concert with obsessive, hyper-real technique and a very unserious sense of humor. For years he was the art world's self-described Rodney Dangerfield. Please enjoy my conversation with artist Mark Dennis. Mark, you didn't hear the introduction that I gave you, but I gotta tell you, it was maybe the most fun one I have done in a really long time. Please, let's start with the forest fire and go from there.

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