Hovering beneath the surface of the Korana river 2020

Curator: Welcome. Today we are looking at "Hovering beneath the surface of the Korana river", an acrylic on canvas created in 2020 by Alfred Freddy Krupa. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the ethereal, almost dreamlike quality. It’s not quite abstract, but those plant-like forms emerging from the depths have an alien, otherworldly feel. What do you make of that palette of blues and greens? Curator: The composition leverages the verticality of these ambiguous, almost fungal forms against the horizontal layering of the riverbed and surface, generating a dialectic between grounding and floating, actuality and possibility. Observe how the light filters through the imagined water. The artist seems to employ techniques of chiaroscuro to suggest the depth. Editor: It really feels like peeking into a secret world, doesn't it? There’s a melancholy too. I can almost feel the coolness of the water, the sense of isolation down there. The colours are almost faded like something lost, maybe overgrown. Curator: Certainly, the application of blues speaks to your interpretation. Further to this, one could analyze the recurring motifs to construct a semiotic narrative around nature, perception, and representation in Krupa's oeuvre, drawing from a phenomenological approach to the artwork. Editor: You know, despite all that serious talk, the painting has a certain playful, light-hearted energy for me as well. Like those underwater creatures have popped in from some sci-fi cartoon to say hello! Maybe I'm being overly sentimental here… Curator: Sentiment is, of course, a possible interpretative framework. But within the structured analysis, the formal qualities remain: note, for instance, the dynamism created by the lack of defined contours of objects and beings here. Editor: Well, however you slice it, formal or sentimental, this glimpse beneath the surface certainly gives a lot to think about. I will definitely keep this image in mind for my next swimming excursion! Curator: Indeed, it's this engagement, on whichever level, that ultimately determines an artwork's lasting appeal. It speaks to a core of human emotions regardless of the style or format adopted by the artist.