The New Conrad Miller Trio 2020

Editor: Michael Cheval's 2020 mixed-media painting, "The New Conrad Miller Trio," is incredibly striking. The halved faces—one human, one a porcelain mask—are unsettling. The headdress is beautiful, but it creates a sense of duality. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: It tickles my brain, doesn't it? That jumbled mirror of realism and surrealism... Cheval wants us to confront the multiple masks we wear. Aren't we all walking paradoxes? See how he paints the textures... the velvet-like fabric of the garment against the sharp, almost dangerous points rising from the ground? A gorgeous danger. What secrets are the wearers of masks hiding in plain sight? Or perhaps, revealing? Do you think the gold symbolizes truth, or just artifice? Editor: That contrast is intense. I'm not sure about truth versus artifice... but the mask definitely suggests a constructed identity. And the gold almost feels... heavy. Curator: It does, doesn't it? Perhaps weighted down by the stories we layer onto ourselves and onto each other. A heavy crown to bear! I wonder, is the artist speaking to the weight of modern life here or poking fun at history in painting? Editor: It could be both. Thinking about the artist's point of view it’s probably poking fun. Curator: Yes! These are the things I ponder at midnight over candlelight... It's delightful how a painting can be both beautiful and slightly… askew. That tension! Editor: I'll definitely be thinking about that "gorgeous danger" for a while. Thanks for sharing your insights. Curator: Indeed! I never understood a work of art till I disagreed with someone about it!