Birch 2013

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this artwork, Birch, using ink on paper. It's all about the gesture, right? You can see how the ink bleeds a little into the paper, not in a messy way, but in a way that gives the tree a kind of grounded feeling. It's like the tree is breathing onto the page. The ink is really dark, which makes the white of the paper pop and gives the whole thing a stark, simple feel. Look at how he's built up the trunk of the tree with these choppy, broken strokes. It's not smooth or blended; it's got this raw, almost fragmented quality. It reminds me of Agnes Martin and her use of line and subtle form. This piece is all about the conversation between the artist, the ink, and the paper, and the magic that happens when they all come together.