Resume
Schonborn has studied at the S.F. Academy of Art University (with combat-sports-courtroom artist Howard Brodie), the Pennsylvania Academy of Art (esp. with Marshall Glasier), and the San Francisco Art Institute (esp. with Ivan Majdrakoff ).
Karl’s drawings and paintings deal with social concerns such as crime, conflict, violence, and inequality as well as with social-science concepts such as alienation, charisma, and deviance.
He’s exhibited his work in venues across the U.S.
–in group shows in New Haven, CT, Manhattan, NY, and Palo Alto, CA in the 1960s
–in one-person shows in Philadelphia, PA and Berkeley, CA in the 1970s
–represented by Werbin Gallery in Manhattan in the 1980s
–in Open Studios in the 1990s, and
-in solo shows in Orinda, CA in the 2000s – present
Karl worked and lived in an Artists’ Coop Warehouse in the SF East Bay 1960s-80s.
Paintings, Silkscreen Prints, and Collages
From time to time, I’ll be adding artwork I’ve done to this gallery. Most paintings are around 3′ x 3′ or 2′ x 2,’ but some are 6′ x 2′ like the ones in the “Heroes Villains and Fools” series. Silkscreen prints tend to be 2′ by 3′ while collages are usually 1′ x 1.5.’ Email me for price quotes via the Contact tab.
Paintings — Good people, with 2 possible exceptions.
- Nonviolent Heroes
- Laura, her cleft son Karl
- Dr. Benjamin Spock
- Karl, Patty Hearst
- General George Patton, Marilyn Monroe
- Shirley Temple with ST doll
- Beav from “Leave it to Beaver” TV show
- Laura
- Victoria
Paintings — Bad people, according to some Faiths. The “Seven Deadly Sins” series.

Lust

Sloth

Greed

Envy

Anger

Pride

Gluttony
Paintings — Heroes

King, Stevenson, Thomas, Einstein

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hammarskjold, UN Secty-General

Caesar Chavez
Silkscreens — Celebs, Everyday people, and Haves & Have-nots.
- Julie Christie
- Jayne Mansfield
- Buffalo Bob & Howdy Doody
- Rita Hayworth
- Racquel Welch
- Mick Jagger
- Mountain Girl
- Stratification — Piedmont, CA
- Stratification —Emeryville, CA
Collages — Criminology topics.
Coming soon!
I love your work. It’s great.
Thanks! You made my day.
I always enjoy your seeing your artwork, Karl, especially the Seven Deadly Sins series. You were working on those paintings when Dennis and I visited you recently, so I’m very to be able to see the whole series here.
I notice that the sins directed inward (sloth and gluttony) are depicted as men, while those directed outward (anger, lust, pride, greed, envy) are women. Though now that I think of it, greed could be considered to be directed inward.
Thinking further on the subject, it seems to me that greed and gluttony are really the same sin: the yearning for more than you actually need or can put to good use. Well, having six deadly sins doesn’t have nearly the same ring as having seven ones. Seven is a magic number, after all.
I think if I were called up to enumerate seven deadly sins, I would substitute cowardice for gluttony.
Thanks for the riff on 6-7-8 sins, Robert. I agree with your points, esp the part about ‘cowardice,’ which seems not to be in anyone’s vocabulary these overly-planned, highly-rationalized days.
Ppl text every step of their way to your house, and rely on GPSes to travel everywhere w/o a hitch. And if one doesn’t do this, one’s helicopter parent will.
Sure, there are few cowards among first-responders and those fighting our endless wars, but so many of the rest of us in the West seem cowardly, wussified. Just my 2 cents