Death 2017

Alfred Freddy Krupa created this photograph, Death, as a kind of document, using the means at hand. The photograph is monochrome, allowing us to focus on the essential forms and textures. The image reveals a small bird, lifeless amidst the harsh terrain of stone and dirt. The scattered feathers around the bird seem to whisper a story of struggle, perhaps a final desperate attempt to escape. The texture of the ground, rough and uneven, contrasts starkly with the delicate plumage of the bird. Look at the shadow that falls across the scene, it’s as if the world itself is casting a pall over this small tragedy. It reminds me of some of the starker works of August Sander, but with an added layer of fragility. I guess art invites us to find beauty even in the most unlikely places. It's a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of life, and maybe that beauty and sorrow are just two sides of the same coin.