Michael Kerbow

Some paintings take time. I began working on this piece over a decade ago and plugged away on it for several years. I’ll admit, the scale of the work and the amount of detail involved was challenging. But persistence and umpteen hours in my studio paid off, and now I share the result. #michaelkerbow #inthestudio #contemporaryart #more

“Boom Times”, oil on canvas. A depiction of a frenetic society at the height of hyper consumerism and rampant growth. The pinnacle of capitalism before the eventual collapse. The idea for this painting came to me several years ago. A vast sprawling city interlaced with sky bridges and roadways. My painting obviously borrows from the retro-futuristic illustrations of Hugh Ferriss and the film “Metropolis”. I began working on this painting last year, and spent many months revising and reworking the image, to ultimately become what you see here. The painting is comprised of two panels, each 72”x56”. The resulting size is quite immersive but I wonder how much more impactful the painting could have been if I had made it even larger. Who knows, maybe someday someone will give me the opportunity to do that. #michaelkerbow #metropolis #city #moreandmore #contemporaryart

Hey y’all! Come see what I am serving up this weekend during my Spring Open Studio event in San Francisco @1890bryantstudios #michaelkerbow #openstudio #sanfranciscoart

“Magic Garden”, oil on canvas. This is a small painted study for a larger work I have been working on. Don’t ask me why it has a flying saucer resting upon a prehistoric sea floor. I haven’t yet figured out the significance of this juxtaposition. Maybe the scene is an echo from my childhood imagination. #michaelkerbow

Some recent smaller sized work. Vintage muscle cars on a prehistoric sea floor. I love the beautiful design of classic car culture, but as symbols of a bygone age of cheap gas, our ongoing addiction with fossil fuels continues to hamper our world. The sooner this paradigm goes extinct, the better. #michaelkerbow #carculture #fossilfuelextinction

Something I’m currently working on for a show. Yes, the concept is rather silly but I suspect I’m the first person to have ever painted a statue of a Bob’s Big Boy standing upon a prehistoric sea floor. #bobsbigboy #prehistoric #cephalopods #michaelkerbow #oilpaintingoncanvas

I had intended to finish this painting last year but I keep finding things in the image I want to embellish, and so back on the easel it goes.

A small study for a new body of work I’m currently working on this year, this one depicting prehistoric cephalopods exploring an ocean floor littered with human detritus. I’m not sure how many images I may create for this new series, but I consider this artwork as an offshoot from my “Late Capitalism” series, which depicted dinosaurs roaming a post-human world. By the way, some of you may recognize my composition as deriving from an illustration by the paleoartist #zdenekburian. (last image) #paleoart #cars #michaelkerbow #environmentalartist

“Mysterious Omens,” an oil painting by San Francisco artist Michael Kerbow combines beloved nostalgia of the Waffle House as a remnant of human inhabitants with a shared obsession of a fantasy for the return of dinosaurs. “For 20 years I have created artwork that examines the underlying forces that drive our industrialized society. I am intrigued by what motivates our collective pursuits, and how our actions may affect our future viability.” Kerbow says of his artistic practice. The Waffle House sign is known to carry a particular intimacy among American culture, beyond a typical fast food experience. Famously quoted by Anthony Bourdain, describing it as “A yellow beacon of hope: Its warm glow serves as a welcoming sight for the hungry and lost late at night.” Now on view in The Knife’s Edge in San Francisco, any inquires about the show or Michael’s artwork, send us a DM or email [email protected] Image: Michael Kerbow Mysterious Omens Oil on canvas 24 x 24 in The Knife’s Edge featured artists: @addfuel @Achavalart @Alinesetton @bondtruluv @Collinmceachranart @downtowndaniel @ef_xiaofu @Ellenporteus @funkysquash @ian.pc @jplans @snowbroth_ @lowrydointhangs @squid.licker @studioumbralux @Michaelkerbow @Michaelwalshsculptor @nategeareart @nomeedonna @optimistneverdies @steeleism @paul_riedmueller @sadiegreyduck @sweber_art @photonflood @SolimanLopez @terry_hoff @urshtray @vcuntos @XimenaRendon @yohnagao @zachsearcy

Another year wraps up as I have just about finished this massive painting. I initially had the idea to paint this image over a decade ago but kept postponing my attempt at it, as the ambitious scale I had in mind was rather daunting. However I decided to finally pursue it this year, and the painting turned out to be a lot of fun. Now that the piece is almost completed, it’s time to begin planning for 2026. I hope all of you have an abundant new year.

There’s always more. The artist and his obsession. Still working on this massive painting. But the end is within sight. #more #billboards #buildings #cityscape #skyscrapers #architecture #oilpainting #workinprogress #michaelkerbow

In this painting by Michael Kerbow, “Vestige (Offramp)” nature appears to be reclaiming concrete man made structures- like a glimpse through a time machine hinting at the possibility of an erasure of civilization as we know it. “I am intrigued by what motivates our collective pursuits, and how our actions may affect our future viability. I seek to question the rationale behind our choices as a society, and try to reveal the dichotomy that may exist between what we desire, and what we in turn manifest. For example, I examine issues like hyper-consumerism, climate change, and other ecological threats. My paintings are intended as allegories about our world, and visions of our possible future.”-Michael Kerbow Check out this painting and other works in The Knife’s Edge group show, on view in San Francisco. Collection Catalog link in bio. For more info about the show or to make an appointment shoot us a DM or email [email protected] Curated by: @chelsearobot Artwork Image: @michaelkerbow “Vestige (Offramp)” Oil on canvas 36 x 48 in Featured artists: @addfuel @Achavalart @Alinesetton @bondtruluv @Collinmceachranart @downtowndaniel @ef_xiaofu @Ellenporteus @funkysquash @ian.pc @jplans @snowbroth_ @lowrydointhangs @squid.licker @studioumbralux @Michaelkerbow @Michaelwalshsculptor @nategeareart @nomeedonna @optimistneverdies @steeleism @paul_riedmueller @sadiegreyduck @sweber_art @photonflood @SolimanLopez @terry_hoff @urshtray @vcuntos @XimenaRendon @yohnagao @zachsearcy