Curatorial notes
Alfred Freddy Krupa made this watercolour, “After I die…”, with a bold, melancholic vision. The brown monochrome gives a feeling of autumn, but also of something sepia-toned, historical. The marks are applied wet, with the water allowed to bloom and run, embracing chance as part of the process. The texture is smooth, almost like a wash, and the transparency of the watercolour allows the white of the paper to glow through. Look at the way the artist plays with the consistency of the paint: sometimes watery and thin, at other times a thicker impasto, building up the texture. Notice the drawing of a face nestled in the fork of the tree. Is this the artist, looking out from the painting? It reminds me of the work of Philip Guston, who also used simple means and materials to produce work with deep personal expression. This piece shows how art can be an ongoing exploration, using simple means to address complex ideas about life, death, and memory.