Accrescendo 2021

Michael Cheval’s “Accrescendo” is a painting that stirs a dreamlike space where music seems to materialize. The palette is full of warm hues, like honey and sun-ripened peaches. It’s art as alchemy, turning color into emotion. Look at how Cheval works with texture; the way the brushstrokes seem to sculpt the clouds, giving them weight and presence. This is not just paint on canvas; it’s a performance. The woman playing the cello, and the fabric she wears, seems to cascade out of the picture. The painting reminds me of Odilon Redon, in how it finds beauty in the unexpected, and embraces the ambiguous, so we're not quite sure what it means. Like music, the painting becomes a space for feeling. So, what does it make you feel?