The Tempest 2018

Editor: So, this is "The Tempest," a 2018 painting by Michael Cheval, using acrylics. The way the couple is positioned, seemingly dancing atop what looks like churning water…it’s unsettling, but I’m captivated by the swirling blue hues. What's your perspective on it? Curator: The texture is certainly remarkable. Cheval has employed acrylics here, a relatively modern material, to evoke the idea of a turbulent force but in the bodies of figures submerged below. I'm drawn to how this reflects our evolving relationship to materials and their expressive potential, how readily available materials change the output. Editor: The faces trapped in the water, almost consumed by it, certainly catch your attention. It almost feels… exploitative. Like these materials or medium is used only to trap the emotion. Curator: Exactly. We must also examine the artist's labor and technique. Acrylics, unlike oils, dry quickly. Cheval has clearly layered the paint meticulously. Do you see how this controlled process speaks to the tension between control and chaos within the depicted scene, reflecting a power dynamic inherent in the act of artistic creation itself? Editor: It does. The medium becomes intertwined with the message. Are you suggesting he's making a commentary on class, with the dressed-up couple essentially dancing on the misery below, made by cheap easy materials? Curator: Possibly. Or maybe, a reflection of the role materials play. Where are the cheaper materials in the landscape of art? Do they capture emotion or dismiss it? And who are they capturing or dismissing for? It’s compelling how Cheval uses the very tools and techniques of artmaking to probe the complicated, almost toxic undercurrents beneath our fantasies. Editor: I hadn't considered the layers of meaning in the application of the materials themselves. It makes the piece far more thought-provoking. Curator: Absolutely, and by thinking about the materials used and the processes employed, we gain a far deeper appreciation for art's intricate relationship with culture and history.