Theatre of Ambiguity II 2018

Michael Cheval’s painting presents a figure caught between a gesture and a stage. I love the artist's eye and what looks like a very smooth surface. Look at the way the figure's hat seems to poke fun at us and the whole scene. It’s like they are about to play a tune, or maybe they just finished one. The hand reaching in from the side seems to be teasing, an interruption of the melody. There's a lot of tension here: is she about to touch the hand or is she forever caught in the in-between? The objects at the bottom—a fan and a coffee grinder—add to this feeling of interruption and playfulness. They suggest a world just beyond the frame. It reminds me of Magritte, but with a sense of humor. I get the feeling Cheval is trying to say something about how we construct meaning and identity. But who knows? Maybe he’s just having fun.