State Tablecloth I 2008

Pavlo Makov made 'State Tablecloth I', of indeterminate date, with what looks like ink and coffee on paper. There's something about the directness of the mark-making here that really grabs me - it's like he's not trying to be too precious. The surface has this beautiful stained quality, probably from the coffee. The repeated fork motifs, in regimented lines, create a rhythm across the paper, but it's not a rigid one. The forks themselves are smudged and blurry, like they're fading into the background, or perhaps they’ve been used to literally move the coffee around the canvas. Look at how the artist seems to have used circular motions, perhaps with a cup or glass, to create these halos around the forks. It reminds me a little of Vija Celmins' meticulous drawings, but with a looser, more playful touch. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art doesn't always have to be pristine and perfect. It can be messy, stained, and full of imperfections, just like life itself.