Dude, just chillax! 2019

"Dude, just chillax!" is what Alfred Freddy Krupa titled this artwork, and it's such a mood. This piece is made up of flat planes of colour, like a screen print, but you can see the hand of the artist, so it feels more personal. I love the limited palette here, orange, blue, yellow and a deep indigo. It's almost Fauvist in its boldness, but with a contemporary feel. Look at the way the orange in the grass bleeds into the figure's legs, creating a sense of connection between the figure and the ground. The blues in the torso are broken up with the occasional splodge of yellow like the sun shining through the leaves of a tree. This kind of playful, experimental approach reminds me of some of David Hockney's early works, where he was exploring the possibilities of colour and representation. Ultimately, it's about embracing the freedom to play, experiment, and just chillax, as Krupa himself suggests.