Through the Looking Glass 2009

Pavlo Makov's "Through the Looking Glass" is a large artwork on paper, and it's all about how he makes his mark. There’s a freedom here; an acceptance of process. The texture is rough and aged, almost like a rediscovered fragment. The lines wander and drip and each tiny mark feels intentional. It’s like a dreamscape pieced together from fragments of memory. I see this looping line near the center, a dark, spiraling tendril which jumps out against the pale ground. Maybe it’s a path, maybe it's a thought, but it pulls you into the piece and makes you look closer. It's a drawing that reminds me of Cy Twombly, in the sense that art is an ongoing conversation. It’s about letting the materials speak and embracing ambiguity. There's no right or wrong way to see it.