Tablecloth VI 2009

Editor: Pavlo Makov's "Tablecloth VI," created in 2009 with ink and watercolor, is a rather peculiar drawing, isn't it? I get this sense of…organized chaos, maybe? The forks around the edge are regimented, while the center feels like a fever dream. What am I supposed to take away from something like this? Curator: Ah, "Tablecloth VI"! I like "organized chaos"—that’s very astute. Makov has a real knack for capturing fleeting moments and turning them into something enduring. It feels to me almost like an archaeologist’s dig: those swirling lines might be conversations, lingering memories imprinted onto the cloth, witnessed from above; the forks acting as steadfast markers defining and enclosing it all. Ever felt like you’re trapped at a dinner, silently absorbing everything? Editor: Oh, absolutely! The family dinner from hell... Curator: Right? Those little forks standing guard—or are they ready to pounce? But what is being served? Instead of something being served it feels like it’s seeping up, like it has risen organically to the surface? See those water stain shapes, almost like clouds but heavier, like earth, full of heavy material from conversations untold… Editor: Wow, I hadn't considered the dinner party angle quite so literally, or even a tablecloth as being anything other than utilitarian. It gives an unusual sense of significance to mundane, shared spaces! The tablecloth isn't blank, its a story being retold. Curator: Exactly! Think about it - family stories are told through generations, at tables around tablecloths where similar meals, similar faces congregate… the table becoming this sacred location for families. Editor: Now, seeing all the stain-like textures I keep replaying all of my family gatherings in my head! Thank you. Curator: The beauty of art, isn't it? Reflecting our own histories within its forms.