NSFW: A true love 1994

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this pen drawing, “NSFW: A true love,” with just a few simple supplies. It’s funny, but looking at it I see the whole history of drawing, like, all at once. The marks are so immediate and raw, you can just tell he was going for it. The texture is all in the speed and pressure of the pen, scratching and building up these dark, dense areas next to these light, airy ones. See how the marks radiate out from the center of the image? It almost feels like an explosion. And those little birds, like tiny thoughts taking flight! I’m reminded of artists like Guston, who embraced this kind of raw, honest mark-making. It’s like Krupa is saying, “Here it is, in all its messy, beautiful imperfection.” And really, isn’t that what love is all about?