Alter Ego Convention II 2020

Michael Cheval made this curious artwork, *Alter Ego Convention II*, and there is a really interesting use of color and symbolism throughout. I can imagine the artist starting with the detailed jester figure, adding layer upon layer of color to create the patterned costume and hat. There's something so captivating about this upside-down doubling of time. Balancing the clock and the bottle of wine must have been quite a challenge, not to mention the hourglass. The artist must have been thinking about the fleeting nature of time, and how our choices – maybe symbolized by the wine – affect our perception of it. It reminds me of some surrealist paintings, like those by Magritte, where familiar objects are placed in unexpected contexts to provoke thought and challenge our understanding of reality. Each generation of artists has its own take on these ideas, and the conversation continues to evolve, encouraging new ways of seeing and thinking about the world.