Back to Krasny Kut 2009

Pavlo Makov made 'Back to Krasny Kut' using a kind of wash technique, almost like he's staining the paper to create these rows of almost tree-like shapes. The colors are muted, mostly browns and blacks, except for this jolt of red in the center that's really eye-catching. The surface of the paper looks aged and distressed, like it's been through something. I think Makov is using this technique to suggest memory and history, the way things fade and change over time. Take a look at the way the dark marks bleed into the paper. It feels kind of melancholic, doesn't it? Like a landscape seen through a rain-streaked window. It reminds me a bit of Anselm Kiefer, in the way he uses material to evoke a sense of loss and the weight of history. But Makov's touch is lighter, more delicate. Ultimately, it's about layers, both of paint and of meaning.