Curatorial notes
Michael Cheval painted "lullaby of uncle magritte" using smooth, controlled brushstrokes to bring this surreal image to life. The colors, like the baby-blue suit, seem like they could be from a dream sequence. What gets me about this painting is its precision and the way it feels almost staged, like a theater set. Look at the careful detail in the checkerboard floor, each square distinct, and the man in the hat, cradling... well, that surreal cutout form. It's like Cheval is saying, "Here's a world, fully rendered, but utterly strange." It reminds me a bit of Magritte, of course, with its bowler hats and impossible scenarios, but with a twist. Cheval adds a layer of hyper-realism that feels very contemporary. It is this conversation across time, the artists working together in the dream space of the canvas, that excites me about painting. Is it a puzzle? Is it a joke? I think it’s both.
