VIRTUAL MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY UKRAINIAN ART: PAVLO MAKOV. Garden of Ukrainian Art
Photo by Igor Chekachkov
The symbol of the garden is found in all cultures around the world — from various representations of the Garden of Eden in paintings, tapestries, and literature of the Judeo-Christian world to the formal Islamic gardens and their philosophical counterparts in the Far East. In contemporary Ukrainian art, the metaphor of the garden is also incredibly popular.
A few years ago, the second biennale of young art was held in Kharkiv, with the theme: «It Seems I’m Entering Our Garden». About 50 artists participated in this large-scale forum, each presenting their vision of the theme.
Interestingly, in Ukraine, there are artists who have been seriously developing the myth of the garden for a long time, literally paving their creative path in a symbolic garden.
For example, one of the main messages of Alevtina Kakhidze, an artist considered the founder of Ukrainian feminist art, is «The Garden is Politics». Kakhidze studies the relationships between plants, drawing analogies with human behavior.
However, Kakhidze’s garden is quite young compared to the garden of Pavlo Makov, a living classic of Ukrainian art. It seems that Makov has managed to please everyone: he is loved by the public, praised by critics, bought by collectors, and admired by his peers. Our editorial team also confesses its love for this incredible artist and proudly prepares the third print issue of Huxleў #3’2020 with Makov’s work on the cover. So how has he achieved such success?
According to the artist himself, he owes his success to his father, who did not hinder his admission to art school, even though he could have. In his childhood and youth, Pavlo was mainly interested in biology, possibly under the influence of his parents who were doctors.
He also loved literature, and both of these interests would later be reflected in his art: biology in the theme of the garden, and literature in the form of art books, which Makov would be one of the first to create in Ukraine.
Using the book as a medium, the artist explores time. In this sense, Makov intersects with Tiberiy Silvashi, whom we wrote about earlier; however, their explorations look completely different. For Makov, the book is not just an object; it is a symbol of life, containing both the past and the present simultaneously.
By flipping through the pages in a certain order, a person progresses through time accordingly. The artist keeps this approach in mind when creating his graphic works. He often makes them intentionally long, so that the viewer has both time to observe and a direction for their gaze.
Makov often works in the ancient technique of etching, which is about 500 years old. The artist creates prints using special plates, which he uses multiple times across different works.
This lends a certain significance to his works, linking Makov’s art with that of his favorite artist, Rembrandt, overlaying temporal and meaningful layers up to the myths and realities of contemporary Ukraine.
Even in this meticulous approach to creating his works, the artist embodies the garden metaphor, because, by his definition, there is no garden without creative and handmade elements, no garden without external support and regular intervention. Makov treats his creations like a careful gardener tends to a beloved garden.
However, Makov’s metaphors certainly don’t end there. The symbolism of his art is multifaceted and deep; the garden indeed proves incredibly universal for all sorts of analogies and interpretations.
For example, the artist believes that each of us leaves our mark on Earth. Among Makov’s works, you can often find magical places — labyrinths that grow out of someone’s fingerprints.
The artist creates a very personal space, filled with an almost intimate closeness between the author and the viewer, a space that does not exist in reality but is, in content, more real than any physical places.
For Makov, the garden is a language through which he speaks about important matters. It is an all-encompassing concept that allows for a deep interpretation of his works on the one hand.
On the other hand, in his garden, a sensitive connection between the art and the viewer is born and carefully nurtured — a connection that all artists strive for, but few achieve.
