Winter 2013

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this image, called Winter, using ink, presumably in 2013, to judge from the signature. The ink is really interesting; it's almost a grey, but not quite. It's like the colour of shadows on a cloudy day, or maybe the first light of dawn. I love how you can see the brushstrokes. They’re so direct and confident, not fussy or overworked. It's like each stroke is a breath, a single, decisive act. Notice the big, bold lines that make up the branches; they're so full of energy, but also so delicate. And then there are the thinner, more tentative lines that suggest twigs and smaller branches. There’s a real sense of depth and space in this piece, even though it's so minimal. The way the ink bleeds into the paper creates this beautiful, soft texture. It reminds me a little of Brice Marden’s work, in the way he uses layering and transparency to create depth and atmosphere. But where Marden's work is often very controlled and precise, Krupa's has a more spontaneous, almost accidental quality. It feels like he's really embracing the unpredictable nature of the medium.