All images used with permission, copyright © the artist, all rights reserved.

David Rathman (b. 1958, Choteau, Mont.) is a multimedia artist based in Minneapolis. Primarily a painter, Rathman’s work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions in New York, Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, Berlin, and Milan. In addition to his paintings Rathman has produced limited edition books and prints, and has created several original films. Rathman’s work is in numerous public and private collections including The Walker Art Center, Minn., Whitney Museum of American Art, NY, New Museum of Contemporary Art, NY, and The Getty Museum, Calif. Rathman is represented by Larissa Goldston Gallery in New York, Mark Moore Gallery in Los Angeles, and Martin Weinstein Gallery, Minneapolis.

Always on My Mind, 2007. Oil on canvas. 42 inches x 42 inches.

How many sentences do you discard before you settle on the right one?

I find the right words/legends for my pieces after the drawings are done. I riff through my notebooks, looking for something that will resonate with the drawing. The notebooks are filled with things I’ve written down: quotes, song lyrics, titles, bits of conversation, and movie dialogue.

What’s the most challenging aspect of painting for you at the moment?

Each new painting or body of work presents new challenges and possibilities. That’s the beauty of painting and drawing—it’s an endlessly engaging and rewarding pursuit.

What’s your daily schedule like?

I work most days in my studio, six days a week, about seven hours a day. I balance that out with family, kids, reading, exercise.

Timothy Olyphant—under-sung or oversold?

He was good in Deadwood. Haven’t watched much of Justified. Neither one of those shows really grabbed me.

When was the last time you looked at a painting by someone else and were confused?

I wish I could say that, but I look at all sorts of other paintings all the time and mostly I’m thrilled, delighted, and feel inspired by all of it. It is a vocation. You need to study, absorb, and work with conviction.

Do you work on multiple pieces at a time? Do you play favorites?

Usually I’m working on one body of work at a time, several pieces in a series.

Most beautiful household object you own?

Maybe a treasured lamp, and a lovely Sangean radio. I like simple, good design, and things that are excellent in their function.

Trait you most admire in filmmakers?

The energy, vision, and skill they bring to such huge, collaborative endeavors. I love good cinematography and writing.