Winter in the park 2018

Alfred Freddy Krupa's 'Winter in the Park' is rendered in charcoal with stark contrasts. The barren trees are reaching toward the sky and are cloaked in winter's embrace. These trees evoke the ancient symbol of the Axis Mundi, the world tree, an archetype found across cultures from Norse mythology's Yggdrasil to the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden. As a potent symbol, the tree connects the earthly realm to the heavens, a universal motif of life, death, and regeneration. Consider how the tree reappears in art and literature as a symbol of family, wisdom, and the interconnectedness of all things. Yet, here, stripped bare by winter, it takes on a melancholic tone. This conveys the emotional state of loss and introspection, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level with the raw, cyclical progressions of nature.