Small Rosarium “East” 2010

Pavlo Makov made this "Small Rosarium 'East'" painting which is a measured world built out of gentle brushstrokes. It’s as though each tiny mark is a breath held and released, constructing the architecture of a garden. I can imagine Makov’s focus, almost meditative, as he laid down each dot and dash. What kind of space was he trying to cultivate? Is it about control, or the illusion of control, with wildness lurking just beneath the surface? There’s a push and pull between the micro and macro here, where each detail contributes to the overall design, like in Agnes Martin's grids. I wonder what the “East” signifies? Perhaps a personal geography, a place of origin, or an imagined landscape filtered through memory? This Rosarium reminds me of how we artists find inspiration and meaning in the world, echoing and expanding on what others have done, transforming it into something uniquely our own.