Time to be a Queen 2016

Curator: Michael Cheval’s 2016 oil painting, "Time to be a Queen," offers a particularly evocative tableau. My immediate impression is one of bizarre, yet playful elegance. What strikes you most, Editor? Editor: It's the *stuff*, the sheer materiality of it all! A young woman is adorned with a pumpkin-dress being pulled on what looks to be an absurd contraption, what is that all made from? Metal and other things? It gives it a very fantastical vibe. Curator: It certainly departs from convention. I see powerful visual symbols. Consider the pumpkin carriage – clearly a nod to Cinderella, but what happens after midnight? The dream of queenship remains, even as the clockwork of fate looms above. It speaks to enduring archetypes of aspiration. Editor: It is well done, indeed, what material and processes are needed to realize such surreal painting? Is it oil? The production of this would involve significant investment in both materials and labor. I can only begin to wonder where does it fits in our capitalist culture. Curator: You raise an interesting point. The artist is skillful, certainly grounded in Renaissance painting techniques but clearly pushing those boundaries into contemporary fantasy art. Notice how the use of dalmatians draw the eyes across the painting and are themselves a classic status symbol as pets of royalty. It reinforces an allegorical quality as much as questions it. Editor: True, but the surreal juxtaposition of elements—dogs, pumpkins, antiquated gears—that very labor intensive quality adds another dimension. Does it celebrate those modes of production or subtly critique? It really seems as if the artwork questions our conventional methods of craftship. Curator: I suspect Cheval invites both appreciation and a healthy skepticism. By interweaving recognizable symbols with dreamlike scenarios, he holds up a mirror, reflecting not just personal desire, but cultural obsession. Editor: Exactly! And those layers of symbolic weightiness cannot come out of thin air! The work itself becomes an active engagement with production and reception of wealth within certain socioeconomic boundaries. Thanks to Cheval and their method. Curator: Agreed. There’s real density here, inviting deeper reflection on the making and meaning. Editor: Indeed, it really made me think about art practices in relation to capitalism. Thank you for pointing the symbolism to me.