Mrežnica river 2019

Curator: Immediately, this pulls me into a space that's both turbulent and still. There's something about the ink bleeding into the paper that evokes a dreamscape. Editor: Let’s delve into Alfred Freddy Krupa's 2019 ink piece titled "Mreznica River." As the name suggests, this modern work captures a landscape scene, though filtered through an abstract expressionist lens. Curator: Abstract is right. It's as if Krupa isn't trying to represent a place, but rather a feeling—a memory perhaps, smudged and faded around the edges. You can almost smell the wet earth, the crisp air. Does that make sense? Editor: Precisely! And it's worth noting how Krupa employs line and form. The brushstrokes are bold, economical, creating dynamic contrast with the stark white backdrop. Semiotically, we observe a reduction to essential elements – a visual grammar prioritizing gesture. The result challenges representational norms, steering towards the emotive essence of a "landscape". Curator: It also gives the work a powerful immediacy, that very raw gestural feel. Each stroke feels decisive, leaving no room to backtrack. Looking at it, you’re reminded that landscapes exist not only in our eyes but in the swift, uncontrolled motions within. Editor: Quite insightful. What fascinates me about the formal organization is this constant oscillation. Note, it's positioned somewhere between spontaneity and calculated placement. Although a relatively young artwork, we can position Krupa here, using this tension to access and re-imagine older and wider notions within the history of landscape art. Curator: Looking at the way that Krupa contrasts very dark blacks against whites also strikes me. A play of shadow and light which feels like squinting at reflections shimmering on the surface. It really manages to make it more palpable. Editor: Yes, you're highlighting an important structural dichotomy. A phenomenological understanding appreciates these choices for facilitating a deep sensorial engagement, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely! It’s far beyond pure visuality, for sure! Editor: Indeed. I think Krupa offers a novel perspective on landscape painting – the reduction of the scenery into its primal marks. Thank you for highlighting these insightful observations. Curator: My pleasure! I leave contemplating how our perception and lived environment interplay!