Morning skyline 2015

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this painting of a skyline in the morning, but when? Maybe the date doesn’t matter so much. The thick fog gives the scene a muted palette, almost monochrome, which can bring out the abstract quality of the subject. The silhouettes of the buildings contrast with the soft glow of the sun, which seems to bleach out all other color. I can imagine Krupa standing there at dawn, looking at this scene, thinking about light, thinking about dark. I like to think about what artists are thinking about when they are making their work, how they might shift and change, how it feels in their body. There is a kind of drama here, a silent, still drama. The texture in the sky reminds me of Gerhard Richter’s misty seascapes, but then again, so does the light, and the tonal range. We are all inspired by those who came before us. Painting, any kind of art making, is a form of exchange, and conversation. We are always speaking to one another across time.