Message To The Web 2019

Michael Cheval created ‘Message To The Web’ at an unknown date, and I’m immediately drawn into its dreamlike quality. It's almost hyper-real, but with this uncanny twist. I wonder what Cheval was thinking. There is an atmosphere of stillness, a very deliberate arrangement of elements. The figure, dressed like a court jester, sits with an instrument that's been overtaken by a spiderweb—a forgotten tune, perhaps. You can almost feel the texture of the bark, the fine threads of the web. And that mallet on the ground is a funny touch. Is it meant to break the instrument, the web, or something else entirely? The more I look, the more I see a conversation happening across time, echoing earlier paintings. Ultimately, art is not about answers but about sparking those feelings, embracing uncertainty, and finding new ways to connect with ourselves and the world.