Mark Grotjahn had a kitchen wall that needed a little pizzazz. So, he did what any famous abstract and geometric painter would do and started drafting up imagery to meet the exact dimensional specifications of that wall. He drafted up 50 subsequent chromatic drawings from a single black and cream pencil composition, of radiating colors like Tuscan red and chartreuse, or grass green and canary yellow.
The result was Grotjahn’s 50 Kitchens piece — a collection of 50 paintings that, together, make a singular prismatic three-dimensional display.
Why on Earth is any of this coming up in an outdoor and gear-oriented publication? Because, Grotjahn, who spends time between California and Colorado, recently partnered with DPS on a limited-release ski with the exact artwork from his famous colored pencil series.
The DPS 50 Kitchens #15 skis were launched in February 2023, combining the space-age carbon ski technology from the Salt Lake City-based ski maker with the contemporary artist’s flair for a colorful design.
“Mark’s work, specifically the 50 Kitchens collection, was a natural fit for DPS. This project is radically different than anything we’ve done before, but at the same time, Mark’s use of color and the level of discipline that comes through in his work spoke to us as the perfect collaboration,” said Dan Pizza, creative director at DPS Skis.
DPS ’50 Kitchens’ Collab: How Grotjahn Found the Brand
The collaboration was a natural one, not just because Grotjahn’s artwork looks so good on a top sheet, but because Grotjahn is an avid backcountry enthusiast. He found backcountry skiing in Colorado’s Elk Mountains and fell in love with the sport. He connected with a local guide and spent the next 2 years skiing all over the place with him.
“I love the feeling of contemplation and quiet when I tour ski. I feel so in the moment that everything else disappears and I feel invisible,” Grotjahn said. “Any skier or anybody who takes it seriously knows what it’s like to disappear into their sport. And I have to say, this feeling exists in making paintings too.”
Eventually, when it was time to upgrade his backcountry setup, Grotjahn wandered into a ski store. He was almost immediately taken by a monochrome top sheet on a DPS ski. He started asking about the brand, and he liked what he learned. Enough that he reached out to DPS to find out more about its artistic designs. And that’s when the magic happened.
Just 6 months later, DPS dropped the Grotjahn 50 Kitchens collaboration. Grotjahn selected painting #15 from the 50-painting series because he knew the artwork would look fantastic on a ski (just as it would have in his kitchen). DPS used its latest ski design for the collaboration: the Kaizen. It’s ideal for backcountry maneuverability and powder skiing, with a 15m turn radius and 122mm waist.
The official launch of the ski was on Feb. 18 at the Aspen Art Museum.
“This project was a true collaboration where everyone worked together, asked questions, and listened to each other’s ideas,” Pizza said. “In the end, we are all super happy with the final product.”
The 50 Kitchens #15 DPS collaboration ski is retailing for $2,000. They’re available online on the DPS website, or at Cripple Creek Backcountry in four lengths: 168, 178, 184, and 189 cm.