MN Marine Art Museum - Michael Kareken: Ebb and Flow

About

Minneapolis-based artist Michael Kareken transforms everyday discarded materials—scrap metal, cardboard, paper, glass, plastics, and car parts—into striking works of art. Through intricate drawings and large-scale paintings, Kareken explores the cyclical journey of raw materials, tracing their evolution from consumer goods to discarded remnants, and ultimately, to renewed forms. These works go beyond mere representations of recycled objects; they evoke reflection on our culture of consumption, single-use practices, and the lasting impact of these materials on our environment. Ebb and Flow invites us to reconsider the beauty within the mundane and to reflect on the lifecycle of the things we discard.