Boat with cabin at the Kupa river (high water level) 2013

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this black ink painting of a boat with a cabin at the Kupa river on paper, probably in 2013, judging by the signature in the corner. The monochromatic palette, all watery grays and blacks, gives the scene a still, almost melancholic feel. You can see the texture of the paper peeking through the thin washes, making the image feel immediate, like it was made quickly, en plein air. I love the way Krupa handles the reflections in the water. See how the verticals of the trees dissolve into these abstract, drippy marks? It’s like he’s saying, “Here’s the thing, and here’s how it falls apart.” The dark shape of the boat is mirrored in the water so it's hard to tell where the boat ends and its reflection begins. It reminds me of Gerhard Richter's blurred photographs, where clarity gives way to a kind of beautiful abstraction. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about perfect representation, but about capturing a feeling, an essence, or a fleeting moment in time.