THE ROSE SALON

Michael Cline’s (1973, United States) paintings of people embroiled in the imaginary day to day experiences of American poverty fuse elements of surrealism and traditional realism. His work engages contemporary social critique, sometimes hinting at satire, in which ambiguous narratives are supported by poignant details, obscuring as much as they reveal. There is a subtle sense of turmoil present in Cline's loosely defined narratives. 

His work has a satirical element, critiquing aspects of urban life but also creating a space for folk narrative and urban myth. His cities are not real places, and his style is not documentary; rather, the city is a dream-like landscape in which Cline integrates seemingly unrelated details, figures, and inscrutable objects.