State Tablecloth I 2008

Pavlo Makov made this large drawing, State Tablecloth I, using ink on paper. Two rows of fork-like forms march across the surface in regimented lines, while rings like cup stains float around them, giving the impression of a meal long finished. I wonder if Makov began with these ghostly stains. The way the forks hover above and below them makes me think of a gathering, a social event where conversation and connection are either beginning or dissolving. It looks like the kind of drawing where the artist is working something out. The forks themselves are fascinating. They’re almost like figures, each with its own personality and variation. The ink is applied with varying pressure, sometimes thin and scratchy, sometimes thick and dark, giving a sense of depth and dimension to the composition. It reminds me of the work of other artists like Nancy Spero, who used repetition and pattern to convey a sense of history, memory, and narrative. Ultimately, this drawing is less about forks and more about the act of gathering. It is about the traces we leave behind and how they form an ongoing exchange of ideas across time.