evolution 2015

Curator: The initial impression I get is one of delicate control—the rendering is quite smooth and almost dreamlike, softened, I would say, and it gives the whole piece a rather unsettling atmosphere. Editor: Today we're exploring Michael Cheval's "evolution," an oil-on-canvas painting crafted in 2015. It's part of the artist's exploration into surrealism. As we look at it, what resonates most profoundly for you, considering our current moment? Curator: What’s striking to me is the orchestration of color. Notice how the earthy tones in the background create a stage for the gold of the figure’s bodice. And, the costuming; I am seeing layers upon layers of imposed tradition and hierarchy… who are we really in our performance? Editor: Precisely. The puppets embody this question too—suspended as they are. They echo the history of the oppressed—gender, race, economic class. How we have performed roles ascribed by those in power—we may be moving toward understanding and visibility, but some of us are clearly still manipulated, still playing out worn scenarios that were designed to imprison our imagination. Curator: What do you think of the subject in control, puppeteering, I think a very striking element, this face showing zero emotion… vacant? Are the puppeteer's strings holding herself as well? Look closely, as she herself could also be read as one of these creations of wood! And does she look female at all? Or rather the representation of power? Editor: The composition itself is key here; the light and shadow interplay guides us directly to the performance and hints at an external watcher—that we cannot see—thus adding to the mystery! Who is in charge and how does control manifest here? And more broadly, what does it mean that the artwork is entitled 'evolution' yet so mired in traditional imagery? Curator: Thank you. The title, after consideration of all your well noted points does suggest an act of resistance and struggle with what you call the ‘hierarchy’, yes, I can certainly now understand a call to push us forward. Editor: And it prompts introspection – whose strings are we dancing to, and how can we evolve beyond them?