The Art of the Deal(ing): Michael Schliefke’s work uses dark comedy to cope and hope
Art by Michael Schliefke
When someone takes the opportunity to walk into local artist Michael Schliefke’s Northeast Kansas City studio, it’s impossible to find every joke he’s proudly displayed on his walls, bookshelves, and tables because there will always be another punchline tucked into the deepest crevices of the winding, multi-level workplace. Not even the keenest eye could catch them all. Schliefke’s work is carefully curated with his biting wit and always executed with a trained eye for beauty.
Since becoming a full-time artist in 2002, Schliefke’s career has led him to find inspiration in foreign countries when he isn’t busy developing art shows and building his portfolio in Austin, TX and Kansas City. He defines himself as an oil painter, but Schliefke’s projects are as endless as his jokes and include a finished novella, a series of comic books, Kansas City magic shrinks, and a range of humorous stickers, t-shirts, beach towels, and Taylor Swift prayer candles.
Photo Courtesy of Michael Schliefke
These projects give him a reprieve and a creative boost away from the difficult subject matter he deals with in his larger paintings. Yet despite the dark material he finds himself drawn to, Schliefke always finds humor in it.
“There should be an element of beauty,” Schliefke says as he reminisces about a time earlier in his career when he painted sarcastic decorative art that he sold online under a pseudonym he swears to secrecy. It made him a pretty penny, but the joke behind it was the best part.
Schliefke is known for his work that bites into politics with absurdity, not decorative paintings that hang in someone’s living room or office space. “It was the most ironic thing I’ve ever done,” he admits. He wanted to do more than paint flowers and landscapes. But that didn’t mean he would sacrifice beauty for the sake of his message.
“I’ve always had a tongue-in-cheek absurd outlook on things,” says Schliefke, explaining how much of his inspiration came from late nights as a child where he snuck downstairs to watch infomercials, game shows, Looney Tunes, and The Late Show with David Letterman. His childhood was rooted in pointed humor, so it’s no surprise his life’s work followed suit.
Many of Schliefke’s paintings play with the idea of flawed characters, which he credits to the hours he spent watching Looney Tunes. His symbolism takes the form of shipwrecks, bulls, and rodeo clowns. He guarantees that his love for painting rodeo clowns goes beyond a playful display. It’s a deeper metaphor of the true American character, filled with good intentions but repeatedly falling short where we need it to succeed.
Art by Michael Schliefke
When asked what he sees for Kansas City in the coming years, Schliefke says, “The city has changed for the better in a lot of ways.” He commends the city’s growth and how it maintains its affordability. But Schliefke worries about the cost of attracting more people to the area and the gentrification that comes with the growth.
He references some of the work he developed in Austin that directly speaks to the issue—The Really White Vigilante is a comic book about a satirical hero who fights the gentrification in East Austin. It’s a sore subject that reaches far beyond one city’s limits, and Schliefke still managed to find the humor in it. His use of irony to inform the community is a well-harnessed skill that makes his art accessible.
“Humor is the way you deal with shit,” he says. His art serves as an outlet for him to process, interpret, and make social issues accessible to everyone. Schliefke believes that artists have a professional obligation to take note of what’s around them. “It’s important for artists to document and do this.”
Photo Courtesy of Michael Schliefke
Schliefke has managed to tether a unique connection to his audience in his ability to address difficult issues that leave the viewer with a sense of reflection, not spiraling from an existential crisis. His work is layered with intention, and although it’s not conventionally decorative, it has a beauty that he intends to preserve. A walk through his studio will leave anyone with a chuckle or a full-belly laugh, and he welcomes it with open arms.
When asked what he thinks he will be known for, Schliefke laughs and shakes his head. “Probably a joke,” he says with a smile.
Schliefke is currently working on a series of oil paintings inspired by Greek mythology and the flawed characters therein. He hopes to tentatively launch the series in the spring of 2025. In conjunction, he holds an interest in developing zines and continuing his venture into quirky stickers and t-shirts.
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