As Michael Corner's Artifice series nears closer to the end of the alphabet, his latest work,Painting U, presents us with another complex and intriguing narrative to unpack. The latest installment features two male figures set against the backdrop of Pieter Bruegel the Elder's "The Blind Leading the Blind" (1568).

The characters that Corner has presented us in Painting U appear disheveled and lost in thought. The figure on the right, dressed in a suit jacket but missing pants and a sock, gazes into the distance with a detached expression. In contrast, the figure on the left sits on the sofa with an unbuttoned shirt and bare feet, his eyes fixed in the direction of the viewer with a cloudy, and uncertain stare. They have certainly been through something; what that is, we do not know.

Bruegel's painting, which serves as the backdrop, illustrates the philosophical parable that the painting is titled for: "If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." In the background, six men afflicted with various types of blindness, connected by their staffs, follow each other. Their leader has fallen into a ditch, and his companions, confused and as disheveled as Corner's added characters, will soon join him. In the distance, a herd of cows and the Belgian village of Sint-Anna-Pide exist calmly in the background as chaos reigns in front of them.

This juxtaposition of chaos and calm raises questions about the fate of Corner's two men. Have they escaped the tragedy unfolding behind them, or is their story more complex? Painting U invites us to ponder the relationship between them, and their connection to Bruegel's masterpiece. As we navigate the complexities of Corner's work, we're encouraged to fill in the gaps and uncover the hidden narratives within.