Dance with the Wind 2019

Michael Cheval conjured this image of two dancers, with oil on canvas, at an unknown date. The colors feel like a memory of a sunset, all those oranges melting into blues. Look at the dress, it's almost as if it's not just fabric, but also wind and water, transforming as you watch. The way the paint is layered here is interesting. In some areas, it's smooth and blended, especially in the faces, giving them a soft, dreamlike quality. But then you see these deliberate, almost sculpted strokes in the dress and the buildings in the background. This contrast is what makes the painting alive, like it's breathing. Notice how the white doves echo the swirling fabric of the dress, pulling the whole composition together. This piece reminds me a bit of Magritte, with its playful manipulation of reality and slightly surreal atmosphere. Both artists invite you into a world where the familiar becomes strange and wonderful. Cheval, like Magritte, is not giving us answers, but opening up a space for questions.