The Ringing Silence of the Moon 2017

Michael Cheval made The Ringing Silence of the Moon using paint, layering in the process like a mad scientist creating a potion. There’s something dreamlike in the way this painting invites you in, where the real and unreal get tangled up together, like a knot you can't quite undo. Look at the texture, the way the paint seems to float and swirl. I like the rich colors of the moon crescent, and how they blend with the softer tones of her dress, which gives the painting a lovely, lyrical feel. And her red hair! The painting reminds me of the work of René Magritte. But where Magritte's work feels distant and aloof, this has a warmth to it. Both artists explore the strange and mysterious, but Cheval's approach feels more personal, less like a puzzle and more like a poem. In the end, it's that sense of openness that makes the work so compelling, a reminder that art is always a conversation, never a conclusion.