Kyle Surges

My name is Kyle Surges and I'm a Chicago based artist who paints unbelievably detailed paintings. I have been showing my work professionally in exhibits for the past decade and have been published in many magazines. My oil paintings are still lifes painted with the highest level of craftsmanship. The paintings take countless hours of focus and patience to complete. I produce only 2 to 5 paintings a year depending on the complexity of the subject matter. Some of my subjects are nostalgic, cherish icons, while others witty juxtapositions. I'm available for commission work and I can work with you to create a beautiful customized painting. I also build strong wood crates, so the paintings can be shipped anywhere. There are plenty of high resolution images of the work on this site, but I guarantee there is nothing like seeing the painting in person.

Please visit my website - https://www.kylesurges.com/


Portfolio:

Available Oil Paintings

My paintings are derived from close visual observation. Primarily my subjects are manufactured items; of which I find their surfaces beautiful, and I enjoy the challenge of accurately recreating them in paint. Mainly, I prefer a smooth panel on which to work because it allows me to paint small detail. It also allows the paint to communicate to the viewer without interruption from textures of the physical surface. I prefer to pair these items with a minimalistic background to heighten the emphasis on the object. Often I paint them their actual size to add to the simulated reality of the paint.

Pop artists utilized mass-produced objects to create a dialogue between high and low culture. My work is rooted in that dialogue. I consider myself a sort of pop realist. Objects I choose are based on my fascination with manufactured items; mostly vintage and sometimes witty things. They are often bits of discarded Americana that still hold some factor of importance in the present day. Over time everyday items make the transformation from ordinary to collectible. They inherit nostalgia and plead to be preserved. I like to present these items as sort of cherished icons and let the object dictate the theme of the painting. Some pieces can be historical while others are rather simple, amusing juxtapositions. These are items that require close observation in order to correctly present them. In my opinion, accurately representing these objects in paint is the only clear method for the viewer to identify these objects.

Dragged Through the Garden “Dragged Through the Garden”

8" x 16", oil on panel, 2021

Royal Empress “Royal Empress”

oil on panel, 21" x 42", 2020

Beatlemania “Beatlemania”

oil on panel, 54" x 24", 2021. The idea for this painting came from wanting to paint an old rotary phone, but to present it in an interesting way. I thought the phone hanging down would be cool, but what event/news in the past might have excited someone so much to leave the phone off the hook? Drawing from my previous Beatles record painting, I thought the day the Beatles came to America might be a good event. Someone receiving a phone call from a friend hearing the Beatles are here might trigger them to rush out the door leaving the phone hanging down the wall. So the daily calendar in this piece is be set to Feb 7th, 1964, the day the Beatles landed in America.

Coke Carrier “Coke Carrier”

oil on panel, 12" x 12", 2020

Coke and Cooler “Coke and Cooler”

oil on panel, 40" x 32", 2020

Cafe “Cafe”

oil on panel, 7.5" x 8", 2021