Landscape (late autumn) 2013

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this landscape sometime around 2013. The stark contrast and heavy marks are the first things that grab you. Imagine Krupa, maybe outside, maybe in his head, laying down these dark, deliberate strokes. It feels almost like he’s wrestling with the image, trying to pull it out from the depths. The density of the ink creates this somber, almost melancholic mood. You can see the bare trees reaching up like scratches against the sky. Each line, each blotch, is a decision, a moment of engagement with the landscape and the medium. There is a raw quality to it. He is trying to capture the feeling of a late autumn landscape rather than a literal representation. It reminds me a bit of some early expressionists, those folks trying to get at something deep and true, even if it meant getting messy in the process. It’s like he’s saying, "This is how it feels to be here, now." And isn't that what art is all about?