Uncombed Thoughts 2018

Curator: Good morning, let's dive straight into Michael Cheval's 2018 oil on canvas, "Uncombed Thoughts". My first impression is a peculiar calm despite all the...well, the uncombed-ness! Editor: Indeed. The piece certainly arrests attention, but what intrigues me is the composition. We have a figure presented almost like a Renaissance portrait—the ruff, the pale skin—yet jarringly juxtaposed with a distinctly surrealist element, challenging conventional notions of beauty and decorum. Curator: Absolutely, it’s that unexpected meeting of classic and utterly bizarre that gets me! Those woodland tones swirling in her hair and clothing, all contrasted against that light blue. Then there’s that tiny hedgehog peering out—such a curious focal point. Editor: I interpret that hedgehog in the hair as a manifestation of anxiety or inner turmoil—a physical representation of "uncombed thoughts," quite literally. Its placement disrupts the aesthetic harmony typically associated with portraits. Then the other hedgehog offered in her hands. What is it supposed to be, really? Curator: Hmm, now that's an interesting read! I've mostly focused on how the wild "hair" contrasts against the traditional aristocratic figure—a visual representation of controlled chaos, you know? This regal figure grappling with the absurd...like an overwhelmed CEO trying to explain quantum physics to a hamster. Editor: Well, looking deeper into the artist's other pieces and recurring symbols, like reflections and mirror images, as the protagonist is about to look at herself using that brush, the hedgehogs could also stand for something else: our defenses, our emotional protection perhaps. And this idea is projected into this noble or high standing persona with such refined European features. Curator: The idea of using such cute creatures to protect someone...from what? I love that vulnerability is portrayed in a manner that still manages to be endearing rather than unsettling, even if the colors bring a muted dark tone. The technique in the skin is absolutely perfect. You can even distinguish between matte and oily parts! It is almost a perfect reflection of someone on a journey. Editor: Maybe to represent emotional armor in a vulnerable light—especially within the societal constructs of gender and representation in art, what has been canonized over what's real. But the execution indeed makes it appealing rather than repelling. Curator: And on that note, perhaps, in understanding art, like our own thoughts, we can aim for appreciation rather than a need for definitive tidiness! Editor: Nicely said! Perhaps, at its core, this painting questions whether thoughts can, or should, even be “combed” in the first place. A potent commentary.