Late winter on the Kupa river (sunken willow and boats) 2021

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this painting of the Kupa river using ink, watercolor, and tempera. You know, when you look at it, you can almost feel that cold, damp air of late winter. I’m really drawn to the way Krupa handles the black ink. See how he lets it drip and pool, creating these stark, skeletal trees against the pale ground? And then there are those delicate red and gray washes. Look closer, notice the texture of the paper coming through. It’s not just a picture of a landscape, but also about the physicality of painting. The contrast between the solid blacks and watery colors reminds me of the paintings of the Song Dynasty in China. There’s a shared understanding that art is an ongoing conversation across time, where ambiguity and multiple interpretations are more important than fixed meanings.