Birch 2013

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this painting of a birch tree with ink on paper, and I can almost see the painting unfurl, shifting and emerging through trial, error, and intuition. I feel for Freddy; it's tough making something from nothing! Those drips, blots, and pools of ink have a mind of their own. It is a really simple, yet powerful statement of the bare, skeletal tree. It's great how he's letting the ink bleed and run, creating texture and depth. The stark monochrome palette forces us to focus on the materiality of the paint itself. I love the quick, gestural marks that build up the image, especially those long, thin branches reaching out like hopeful fingers. Like a haiku, it reminds us that artists are in conversation, responding to nature and each other across time. It's this kind of exchange that keeps painting alive, embracing ambiguity and allowing for endless ways of seeing.