Square Alley 2009

Pavlo Makov made this square artwork, a drawing, with ink, pencil, and paper, and it feels like a cross between a map and a dreamscape. I can almost feel Pavlo leaning over this work, carefully building up the image with delicate lines and muted tones. He's mapping out not just a physical place, but a mental space, a memory perhaps? The skeletal trees reach up like delicate veins, and the buildings are rendered with such a light touch they seem to be fading in and out of view, like a half-remembered story. There’s this playful addition of collage on the right, and a dog—or wolf—marking its territory on the left; are these sly suggestions, or is Pavlo just being playful? It reminds me of other artists who use drawing to explore imaginary worlds, like Hilma af Klint, who was mapping unseen realities. Artists are always picking up on each other’s vibes, you know? It is a constant conversation through time. This drawing is an invitation to get lost in the possibilities of seeing.