Whether they know her as Marjorie Gubelmann or her after-hours alter ego, DJ Mad Marj, members of the world’s inner circles will readily rave about her unique musical talents, flair for throwing extravagant parties, and impeccable taste. Dubbed “The DJ With A Diamond Touch” by W Magazine, Marjorie is probably one of the best dressed people to ever touch a turntable—and, true to her word, she “can get anyone to dance.”
While a Google image search will quickly turn up many photos of DJ Mad Marj in her element, no depiction is quite as captivating as the original portrait painted by artist Donald "Drawbertson" Robertson, a friend of Marjorie’s and a celebrity in his own right. We’re honored to have had the pleasure of custom framing such a special piece, and equally excited to share the details here.
Who: Marjorie Gubelmann, aka DJ Mad Marj, world-renowned philanthropist, entrepreneur, socialite, hostess, and celebrity DJ.
What: An original portrait by iconic artist Donald Robertson, famous for his pop culture-influenced paintings and equally colorful Instagram presence.
A side-by-side comparison, via Instagram.
From Marj: “I first heard about Simply Framed from my friend Nate Berkus but I didn’t think much about it. Then, one day, I came across the brand on Instagram and thought, ‘Oh, this is cute!’ Since then I’ve probably had about twelve pieces custom framed by Simply Framed—mostly paintings, some of my son’s artwork—and I have enough trust in the company to just say, ‘Here’s the piece. Which frame do you think I should choose?’
I knew right away that this portrait by Donald needed to be framed in a special way. It’s so personal, since it’s of me and he’s a dear friend. Also, the piece is a bit 3-D, and it needed a frame that could properly showcase that.”
The Simply Framed team worked closely with Marjorie to create a truly custom solution: We built a raised mat to be even with the textured artwork, and made it black with a cream-colored core to add definition. The entire piece is framed in our classic Black Gallery Frame, and protected by our signature plexiglass—an especially important feature, given the high-traffic location of the painting in Marjorie’s home.
“The piece lives in my kitchen, which is basically Grand Central Station of my apartment. Everyone winds up in here, multiple times a day. It’s bright and cheery, and so is Donald’s painting. It just belongs here.
I can’t say enough about Simply Framed; they’re amazing, and I love working with them. I’ve never experienced such turnkey, professional service and the finished product is just incredible. I wouldn’t believe the quality if I hadn’t seen it myself—and that’s why I was able to trust them with such an important piece of art. If Simply Framed is good enough to frame a Donald Robertson original, they’re good enough to frame anything.”
Do you have an extra special piece of art that needs an extra special custom frame? We can help! Get started here.