Red Landscape 2019

Pavlo Makov made this 'Red Landscape', and what strikes me is the process, the doing of it. The red isn't just a flat wash; you can see the strokes, the layers, like a sunset painted with a dry brush. Looking closely, the texture tells a story. The red background seems to have this almost rough, gritty feel, while the blue of the plant is smoother, like water. Then there are these tiny houses, little architectural details clinging to the stem. This makes me think of the way we build our lives on what's already there, adding to the landscape. There’s something almost primitive, in the best sense, about this piece. It’s like looking at a folk tale, something passed down. Makov, through this landscape, is having a conversation with artists like Paul Klee, who also embraced the childlike and the symbolic. Like all good art, it invites you to see the world a little differently, more poetically.