Our Bobby 2018

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this portrait of ‘Our Bobby’ using sweeping brushstrokes of black ink. I wonder what Bobby was like? You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the page, building up the dog’s features with each expressive mark. The ink is applied in confident strokes, varying in thickness and intensity, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. I bet Krupa was thinking about the relationship between gesture and form, how a few well-placed strokes could evoke the essence of his canine friend. I like the way this piece plays with abstraction and representation. It reminds me of some of Franz Kline's calligraphic paintings, where the act of painting becomes as important as the subject matter itself. It’s like Krupa is saying, "Here's Bobby, but also here's the joy and energy of painting itself." Ultimately, it speaks to the ongoing dialogue between artists across time.