Angel Of Santa Fe 2016

Michael Cheval's 'Angel of Santa Fe' is a surreal painting of a nude angel sitting in a landscape that blends history and fantasy. I imagine Cheval, layering thin glazes of oil paint to create these smooth, almost photographic surfaces. It makes you wonder what the angel is dreaming about, slumped on a carpet under the watchful eyes of Native American figures hovering above the sunset. The angel’s white wings contrast with the desert reds, the muted greens, and the browns of the landscape. And that skull, which seems like a memento mori, along with the chili hanging nearby, seems very New Mexico! Cheval’s exploration of dreams aligns him with other surrealists, like Magritte, but here, his meticulous rendering creates a dreamscape that's all his own. The smooth brushwork almost disappears, and the narrative floats, inviting us to piece it all together.