"A" 2021

Pavlo Makov made this painting, "A," which measures 50 by 50 centimeters, using what looks like ink on paper. I love the starkness of the black and white, and how the artist uses the negative space to create an image that is both abstract and architectural. It feels like a building, but also a letter, and maybe something else entirely. The surface is smooth, almost like a print, but you can see the slight variations in the ink, especially in the dark areas. This gives it a handmade quality that I really appreciate. Look at the way the lines create the structure, and how they meet and intersect. It’s like a drawing, but also a solid form. It reminds me a little of Sol LeWitt's wall drawings, where simple lines create complex spaces. Ultimately, "A" invites us to see the world in new ways and question our assumptions about what is real and what is imagined. It doesn’t give you all the answers, and that’s what makes it so compelling.