Paris 1920

David Kakabadzé made this drawing called "Paris" with what looks like charcoal or maybe ink, we don’t know when. It's all about contrasts; the white of the paper and the dense black marks that dance and hover. Look at the way the lines pile up, especially around the car and the shadowy ground beneath it. Kakabadzé isn't just showing us what's there; he's letting us feel the energy of the street, the weight of the buildings, and the fleeting presence of the car as it rushes past. You can almost smell the rain on the cobblestones. There's a sense of immediacy to the mark making, as if Kakabadzé was trying to catch a fleeting moment before it disappeared. It reminds me a little of Lyonel Feininger, but with a touch more grit and less geometry. It's like he’s saying, "Here’s a glimpse, now make your own story."