Under the boot 2019

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this painting, *Under the Boot*, with ink on paper. Look at that handprint, so bold and direct. It makes me think about mark-making as an act of presence. I imagine Krupa in the studio, pressing his hand onto the paper, the ink squishing between his fingers, making direct contact with the surface, like the cave painters of Lascaux. The red lines that snake around the hand and footprints feel like a primal scream. This piece makes me think about the work of other painters who use their bodies to make marks – Carolee Schneemann, for example. But it also stands alone as a powerful statement about vulnerability and resilience. Ultimately, painting is about opening up possibilities. We are left to wonder. And maybe that's the point.