Train Of Thought 2017

Michael Cheval, born in 1966, paints this oil on canvas as if building a stage set, layering details for a world that’s just slightly off-kilter. The colors here are saturated, the greens are greener, the reds, redder, as though lifted from a dream. Look closely at the brushwork around the figure’s face. See how the paint is applied in smooth, almost porcelain-like layers? It’s a total contrast to the rougher, more textured strokes used to depict the books and the toy train. It’s almost as if the artist is playing with the idea of reality versus artifice, using the materiality of the paint itself to create a sense of depth and illusion. The red gloves are so tactile, their smoothness pops out from the scene. There’s a theatricality here, reminiscent of the surrealist painter, Magritte, but with a playful twist all of Cheval's own. This painting feels like an invitation into a world where logic takes a back seat, and imagination takes the driver's seat.