Through the Looking Glass 2009

Pavlo Makov made this large artwork, measuring 200 x 160 cm, using mixed media on paper. You can almost feel the artist working on this, shifting from one section to the next, improvising as they go. I imagine Makov layering different kinds of marks, lines, and textures, letting the piece emerge bit by bit. The way the paper is pieced together gives it a patchwork feel, like a map made from fragments. I see these dark, swirling lines suggesting a head in profile, like something glimpsed in a dream. And then there are these delicate, almost architectural details, like miniature cities receding into the distance. It reminds me a bit of Cy Twombly's work, where drawing and writing blur together. It’s like Makov is building up a whole world out of these tiny marks and gestures. For me, it is a reminder that art-making is this ongoing conversation across time, where artists are always borrowing, responding, and pushing each other in new directions.