Unfinished portrait. Dad 2007

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this drawing of his Dad with what looks like pencil on paper, its dimensions are 42 by 30 cm. I find that the realness in this work lies in its raw, exposed, unfinished nature. The artist doesn’t try to hide the evidence of how it was made, you can follow each pencil line as it builds into the form. It reminds me of a sculptor building up clay. The texture of the paper adds to this effect, it's almost like you can feel the tooth of the surface under the artist's hand. Look at how the lines around the ear are tentative and searching, and how they contrast with the solid confident mark-making that defines the nose. This contrast makes the drawing feel alive and full of character. This piece feels like a close cousin to drawings by Lucian Freud, with their shared interest in the human form. Like Freud, Krupa isn’t afraid to show the vulnerability and imperfection that makes us human.