Attempt for Versailles II 2006

Pavlo Makov conjured this vision of ‘Attempt for Versailles II’ on paper using an array of sombre hues and carefully considered marks. I can almost see him there, head bowed in concentration, coaxing these delicate tree forms into existence. I wonder what was going through his mind as he worked on this piece? The repetitive nature of the tree motifs suggests a meditative state. Maybe he was exploring the tension between order and chaos, control and freedom. There’s something about the delicate application of tone that reminds me of Cy Twombly’s drawings, a lightness of touch that belies the depth of feeling. The paper surface isn’t pristine; you can see stains and marks, revealing its history. It feels like a map of the artist’s mind, a palimpsest of thoughts and feelings. Making paintings is like having a conversation with other artists, both living and dead. It's a process of call and response, where artists borrow and build upon one another’s ideas, creating something new in the process. The act of painting is an embodied form of expression, full of uncertainty, open to multiple readings and interpretations.