On the Way To Destiny 2020

Michael Cheval made this painting, On the Way To Destiny, with oil on canvas, though I don’t know exactly when. I want to walk you through it with some of my own perspective, and you know, maybe throw in a curveball or two. The painting technique itself is fairly traditional, really embracing illusion, but in its combination of a boat as a baby’s buggy, it opens up so much imagination. If you look closely at the details, you'll see the artist's focus on texture. The way he renders the wooden ship-carriage, for instance, feels tactile, almost like you could reach out and touch it. I feel like the red dress is almost vibrating. What could be the meaning of that? This makes me think of Remedios Varo who similarly made paintings with incredible craft and illusion, but to completely weird and wonderful ends. These artists remind us that art is a conversation across time, full of infinite possibilities. It’s up to us to keep the conversation going.