Neighbourhood #9 2018

Pavlo Makov created this etching, Neighbourhood #9, with ink on paper. Look at how he has built up the image. Can you imagine him, bent over the plate, scratching away? The image feels so precise and architectural and yet there's a quirky sense of humour here. I love the way the dog is just hanging out, doing its business. What was he thinking when he added it in? Does the dog mess with our ordered view, or is it just the everyday reality of living in the city? It reminds me a little of Piranesi's architectural fantasies, but with more of a contemporary vibe. You can imagine them chatting about urban planning over a coffee, or maybe a beer. I guess artists are always in dialogue, borrowing and riffing on each other’s ideas. What might the artist be saying about cities, life, and the messy, everyday realities of living in the world?