Michael Rimbaud

Mike Rimbaud, an American artist from New York City has a painting style that evokes Daumier, Otto Dix, Alice Neel and George Bellows as well as influences from underground American comic book illustrators such as Robert Crumb. Mike has taught at the School of Visual Arts and is also a rock songwriter who has released nine albums of his original songs. As a native New Yorker and long time resident, the city has inspired much of his artwork including a series of Lower East Side portraits and subway scenes. Other subject mater includes rock musicians, dinosaurs, burlesque and belly dancers. “I have always enjoyed painting people, sometimes my work borders on caricature and cartoons. Songwriting and music is a way to express myself with words and sound, while painting allows my to visualize my feelings and visions in ways that music can’t. It’s the difference between the ears and the eyes.”

Excerpt of an interview published in The Villager (New York City weekly paper) "Lower East Sides Renaissance man" By Ernest Barteldes, The Villager
There's no shortage of characters in New York, says portraitist Michael Rimbaud. In fact, there's a surplus including Phyllis Sanfiorenzo, above, an actress Rimbaud met on Rivington Street. A ke...

University of Wisconsin, Madison. Painting major. BFA.

“Lower East Side Arts festival” May 2013, TNC155 First Avenue, NY, NY.
“Feast” November 2012-- Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue, NY, NY.
“Protest” September, 2011- Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue, NY, NY.

“Subway Soul” September – October 2010 at Le Salon D’art, 90 Stanton Street, NY, NY

"New York Burlesque" (Portraits of NY burlesque dancers ) September – October 2009 at DNA gallery, NY, NY

“Revolutions: Portraits of American, French and Haitian revolutionaries.” June-August 2008 at LOrange Bleue 430 Broome st. NYC

“Portraits of the Lower East Side”: 2007 Abrons Arts Center 466 Grand Street NY, NY.

“Rio-New York, Images from Brazil” 2006 at LOrange Bleue 430 Broome Street, NY, NY. Paintings made during several years of travel through Brazil. These Gouache paintings cover everything from scenes of Brazilian culture to tropical landscapes.

“Reflections of a Lost World” a series of anthropomorphized dinosaurs in Middle Eastern outfits and suggestive poses. 2004 at Karma, 51 1st avenue, NY, NY.