Total Crash II 2019

Editor: "Total Crash II" painted in 2019 by Michael Cheval, is rendered in oil. The figures are arranged in a sort of tableau vivant. There’s a definite tension here between realism and surrealism that I find so striking. What are your thoughts on it? Curator: The clash of historical and anachronistic elements really speaks to me. We have a figure dressed as a pilot kneeling before a woman who seems almost regal, holding up what seems to be a hot air balloon contained within a teacup. Considering how much emphasis society puts on technological advancement, how does Cheval play with ideas of progress and even failure? Editor: That's interesting; I hadn’t thought about it that way. It’s like a Victorian-era photograph staged for the age of aviation, only things have... crashed. How much of the modern interpretation influences how we view art in general? Curator: That’s key. Look at the setting – it evokes Dutch Golden Age interiors with its light, tiled floor and composition reminiscent of Vermeer. But then there's the broken teacup, which might symbolise fragility but also refers directly to historical events and trade dynamics. Considering the historical fascination of the domestic space, especially within art produced in the global north, what are we to make of the intrusion of aviation in that private realm? Editor: So the artist invites a conversation about where our obsessions lie and what it could be destroying in its path? Curator: Exactly. And where does art stand within all of this: a witness, a celebration, or maybe even a cautionary tale? It asks where do we place value, how do we move forward and at what cost. Editor: It's all about that complex interweaving of historical references and contemporary anxiety, it seems. I’m starting to understand how all these separate aspects of this artwork connect together to create its total message. Curator: Indeed, and art serves its function to stimulate further exploration of assumptions!