ArtRewards

Krupa’s first public academic prowess reached an outstanding peak in the year 1995 when he successfully completed his MFA studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, which was previously known as Kraljevsko zemaljsko više obrazovalište za umjetnost i umjetni obrt (est. 1907, in English: the Royal College for Arts and Crafts, at the University of Zagreb). This esteemed institution has a long-standing reputation for excellence. This achievement is a testament to at that time young Krupa’s dedication and hard work in the field of fine arts. 

The motivation to pursue the field of art and ultimately become an artist

His grandfather, Alfred Krupa, a renowned Polish academic painter, provided him with a simple yet enriching upbringing. This upbringing, centered around art, shaped his life in more ways than one. He is celebrated for his contributions to the Croatian anti-fascist movement and post-war Yugoslav art. Additionally, he is credited with inventing the first modern suitcase with wheels, a remarkable feat.

While growing up, he found solace in painting, which became a constant source of inspiration and joy. Although he briefly considered directing films as a teenager, he soon realized that painting was his true calling.

As a child of the 70s and 80s, he experienced many cultural events and innovations. Despite potential prejudices, Yugoslavia had a progressive and enlightened urban class that encouraged artistic expression free from religious-nationalist restrictions. These experiences have had a profound and lasting impact on him, and he remains deeply grateful for his upbringing.

His artistic background, the techniques, and the subjects he has experimented with so far.

In 1989, Krupa experienced the loss of his grandfather, who had been his first teacher and a significant source of personal knowledge and insight. Two years later, Alfred embarked on his academic journey by enrolling at the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Zagreb. As a student of the classical academy, he acquired a wealth of concrete knowledge, mastering a diverse range of techniques spanning from academicism to high modernity. Alfred explored classical and contemporary motifs, both free and structured, and ventured into both standard and innovative approaches.

Let us cite the words of author and journalist Juliana Arles. (YV Art Spot, Poland):

‘From early childhood, Alfred was taught to love the fine arts. The creative abilities of the young artist were encouraged and developed in every possible way in the family. Especially from his outstanding grandfather, who, in turn, had the opportunity to learn from the legendary Jozef Mehoffer, one of the greatest figures in the Young Poland movement, who brought modernism to Polish culture. During the difficult period of the Homeland War in Croatia (1991-1995), young Krupa turned to the culture of the Far East. His many years of knowledge of various philosophical movements, as well as the experience of spiritual practices, is displayed in his New Ink Art Manifesto 1996. At that time, the artist deeply rethought the oriental approach to modern ink painting and shared the results of his theoretical analysis in articles, notes, and books. In his art, Alfred Krupa masterfully and succinctly combines the minimalism of the East, with the sensual expression characteristic of a Western artist. His work erases conventional boundaries and expands and enriches the viewer’s perception. At the same time, the art of Alfred Krupa betrays the artist’s very personal, subjective experiences. So, studying the works of Alfred Freddy Krupa, the viewer can not only enjoy the visual aesthetics of plastic lines and the harmony of composition but also try to comprehend the deep experience of the creative soul.’

His unique identity as an artist

We will again use the words and excerpts from the review published in 2022 (Jeffrey Grunthaner (a curator and the Berlin editor of Noah Becker’s WhiteHot Magazine of Contemporary Art, New York):

‘The relatively diminutive scale of the art world in Krupa’s native Croatia has only compounded the High Modernist tendency that runs throughout his work. Unlike most artists working Krupa can make a genuine claim to being avant-garde—if only because the sulfurous vapors of war, and existential sufferings following a corrupt and disrespectful post-war establishment, seem to emanate from his handling of ink, making it less an artistic medium and more like an advanced technology documenting the nervous tremors that attend our awareness of inner and outer conflicts.’

Also, the editorial of the US art portal District Artisan wrote:

‘Provoked by life’s circumstances, this artist overcame family plight, political hardship, and the pain associated with the human struggle to become a pioneering figure in the Modern Ink Movement. His family lineage and contributions to the visual arts, like his own, were the result of the human will’s power to persevere. His perseverance to overcome and defeat the failures and obstacles presented by social injustices allowed him to convert pain into prolific works of art.’

Krupa’s inspiration.

Drawing from a wealth of both real and imagined life experiences, he finds endless inspiration in the natural world that surrounds him. In a 2019 interview at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, celebrated pop and contemporary artist David Hockney spoke eloquently about the importance of landscape art, highlighting the power of nature to ignite creativity and joy.

He aims to evoke specific emotions in viewers through his art.

He is a bold and intuitive artist who values the raw essence of his creations above all else. While he may not always plan ahead, he dedicates ample time to the internal preparation necessary to ignite his passion for art. His approach is characterized by a fearless and spontaneous attitude, often resulting in a process that he himself can hardly recall. He frequently revisits familiar themes and motifs, each time approaching them from a unique perspective or mood. His ultimate goal is to convey his innermost emotions and ideas through his work, without relying on cheap tricks or gimmicks. His visual art is an expressionistic reflection of his processed impressions of life. To him, art is not just a craft or creative outlet, but a deeply personal interpretation and reflection on the world. He never creates art for the sake of superficial decoration or fleeting pleasure.

At one point, he delved into the idea that his spontaneous approach to drawing lines is actually governed by the same principles of multidimensionality as existence, even connecting it to the concept of string theory. This is a fascinating topic that falls within the realm of his work in art theory.

Alfred’s manners and techniques of creating art

He finds solace in being alone with his thoughts whether he’s out in nature or crafting imaginative pieces in his workspace. He believes that true artistry requires one’s full concentration and emotional investment, therefore he abstains from listening to music to maintain his focus. While he recognizes the value of relaxation, he takes his artistic endeavors seriously. He has already answered any outstanding inquiries in his previous response. However, when given explicit directives, he assumes the role of a commissioned artisan and carries out the client’s wishes accordingly, prioritizing their objectives over his own creative liberty.

It is expected that a college-educated artist possesses proficiency in various traditional drawing and painting techniques, and such is the case with him. He has a prolific body of work, with a particular focus on water techniques, especially various ink techniques, which resonate with his artistic vision.

Krupa’s innovation

This was his original plan and projection since the 1990s and he described it in his programmatic text New Ink Art Manifesto (1996). Art criticism and art historian has written a lot about it over the years including the authoritative The Allgemeines Kunstlerlexikon – World Biographical Dictionary of Artists, Berlin:

In his manifesto (New Ink Art Manifesto, 1996, publ. 2019) Krupa describes his ink painting as an interpretation of Western modern art with the means of East Asian ink technique, as a combination of contemporary painting and traditional Chinese-Japanese calligraphy. In this regard, he is considered the leading representative of Modern European ink painting.

This element of feeling for two different historical art traditions and my approach to innovation earned me (among other things) a prestigious scholarship from the Government of Japan in 1998.

Through all those years of work and research (searching for oneself and one’s artistic form), one willingly unsought but extremely important ‘side effect’ is the development and formation of an authentic painting and drawing handwriting.

The Room

Prior to 2010, he resided in the palace of his birth, which was also the location where his grandfather created much of his art. This magnificent palace was constructed at the start of the 20th century by the industrialist Maxo Heinrich. The spacious apartment, measuring 162 square meters and boasting a 5-meter ceiling height, was both comfortable and functional for both living and working. The room was designed as a studio. However, these days he no longer has access to such a space. Instead, he works wherever he can find the time and solitude, whether that be inside his apartment, outdoors, or in other tranquil settings. Although he no longer has the freedom that comes with a dedicated studio, he has learned to adapt to his circumstances and make the most of every situation.

Kurpa’s vision for the progression of his work and the advancement of his artistic career in the future.

Krupa desires to increase the momentum of his artistic career through successful auction sales and participation in large biennial exhibitions. Additionally, he hopes to see an increase in the number of monographs dedicated to his paintings and an expansion of his presence in specialized encyclopedias and lexicons. There remains ample room for improvement in this regard, as the status of today’s most famous artists is a direct result of decades, if not centuries, of constant promotion through various channels.

Krupa acknowledges that the evolution of his art’s morphology is unpredictable and may even surprise him. Nevertheless, he remains committed to working diligently until the very end, as long as his abilities allow for it.

Tibor Simon-Mazula, a Hungarian artist, works intuitively. He seeks solace in painting's tactile and tangible features. Tibor paints personal dream-like images of persons and locations that are important to him. His works are also influenced by his experience in mathematics and cinematography. His wife, friends, and travel partners are all sources of inspiration for him.

Tibor Simon-Mazula and His Craft

The paintings depict actual everyday scenarios of genuine things and people in their natural surroundings. His subjects include single bathers, a charming character on a sofa, a bending lady, and a family standing on the beach.

His paintings include memory pieces from his life in Europe, the Arabian Peninsula, and California, during which he found and grasped individual identity, solitude, and the yearningfor relationships.

His intellectual background is combined with an observational approach. Precisely created spontaneous images captured a trice of repeated personal drama and present obscure settings from a unique viewpoint.

A mysterious figure gazes out the window of a new flat, waiting for her companion, or a lonefigure returning home from the daily treks relaxes and recovers.

The Innovative Medium for Tibor’s Artwork

Oil painting is Tibor's primary medium. His work, nevertheless, also includes drawings and short videos. Graphics are broken down into their fundamental elements: composition, texture, color, and scale. This helps in the recollection of both the artist's and the observer's thoughts. It also makes it easier for the spectator to connect with the issue.

The weight created by rich texture contrasts with an uncluttered surface in a rhythmic pattern on the painting. Ingredients like bone ash, marble powder, and alum are fused in anartistic process to create a teethe texture and an accurate 3-dimensional picture. The presence of a rough surface does not imply that it is violent. Instead, it expresses the difficulties that people face through free expression.

Tibor’s Symbolic Color Palette

His color scheme is comprised of a variety of grays. This palette generates a peaceful, rather than aggressive, atmosphere. Similarly, the massive scale also adds to their appeal and emphasizes their purpose.

Ordinary individuals are unique because their seemingly insignificant adventures and settings may relay the fundamental and universal emotions that people seem to share, displayed in heavily textured big figures obscured with restricted hues.

Regardless of our particular perspectives, our lives are one-of-a-kind. People, in essence, confront the same issues in various forms with comparable feelings, such as the loss of a home and the search for safety, as well as aspirations and delusions fueled by excitement and tranquility.

Tibor’s Life Journey and Enlightenment

2008: Tibor and his wife left Europe in 2008 and relocated to West Asia. His passion for the Bay Area Figurative style drove him to California shortly afterward, earning his MFA in Painting.

2013: In 2013, he received the Academy of Art University's Emerging Artist Award, which came with a two-month solo show in downtown San Francisco.

2015: Tibor was displayed among modern masters of art such as MC Escher and Don Ed Hardy at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art and White Walls Gallery in San Francisco in 2015. His art was showcased at SCOPE Miami Beach as a winner of the 2015 Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Contest.

2016: In 2016, DAX Gallery in Costa Mesa displayed his artwork with Keith Haring, Ben Eine, and Plastic Jesus.

2018: Tibor's artwork was on display at Florida State University's Museum of Fine Arts in 2018. He lately had a commercially successful exhibit at Hungary's Munkácsy Mihály Museum.

The Beginning

Luca Brandi was born in the city of Florence in the year 1961. He began working with master Romolo Prati in Florence at the age of 10, assisting him in creating large spiritual pictures on the paneling for church sacristies. In addition, he researched the framework of the paneling and the structuring of the paintings. This was done in readiness for the funding for the big works.

He began studying abstract painting with Paolo Galletti in 1983. He taught him the principles of form deconstruction through geometrical art and color. His first solo show was exhibited at the Dada gallery in Florence in 1985. Since then, Luca Brandi has come a long way.

At the age of nine, Luca Brandi began working with great painter Romolo Prati. In Florence, he began working on images in numerous churches. He created several science fantasy illustrations for a journal when he was 15 years old. 

He discovered the notion of abstraction from Paolo Galletti, a famous painter, in the 1980s. He accompanied him to the abstract collections and exhibitions. In addition, he held his first art exhibition in 1984. This was when he began his professional life in Italy with different shows.

Introspective Research Years

He spent years of contemplative inquiry from 1990 to 2000. He studied the famous classical artists of Abstract and Minimalist Expressionism at exhibitions and modern art museums in the USA, Britain, France, and Germany until 2000. 

This will be the year he started working on new things based on metallic color layering. This remains the foundation of his work. Giuliano Serafini produced his first collection in 2007, which included a significant selection of works from 2000.

Luca Brandi and Spiritualism

His works venture into territory that he has yet to investigate. He is unfamiliar with these areas. Rothko once remarked that Luca Brandi's painting had to be extraordinary, an act of fairness and compassion. This is the same journey that Brandi used to reach enlightenment.

Inextricably blended with the metallic color, the substance begins to reacquire its individuality of pure color, a silky coloring, almost via the impact of an alchemical detachment.

What is known is that the artwork's evolution is inextricably linked to the need for perfection. This is pretty well-executed in terms of rhythms and golden section connection. Furthermore, this has allowed Brandi to find a further astounding truth: the only way to sustain that immortal Heraclitan movement that we call art is to reproduce the same imagery.

His works depict a soul searching for previous love, quiet, and beauty over decades. At the same time, the audience is asked to participate in this journey with their souls and resources. Luca Brandi places a high value on art. That's why, in addition to Acrylic, he solely utilizes linen canvas and aluminum strengthened wood stretches. This is the greatest anti-warp substance on the market.

The Present

During the Art Fairs of Vigo (Spain), Istanbul, and Karlsruhe, he had solo displays with the Immaginaria gallery in Florence (Italy). He participated in a group show in Berlin in December 2008.

This piece is part of the host city's museum display. His solo display at the Galerie Nero in Wiesbaden took place in May 2009. He followed with solo exhibits in Florence and Berlin in November 2010. He also donated other pieces to the Florentine Oncology Center that same year.

His solo art shows have been held at the Palazzo Rosso in Genoa, the Immaginaria gallery in Florence, and the ZetaEffe Museum since 2011. He held his first show of modern art in a contemporary art institution in 2013. At the same period, he traveled to Germany for exhibits. He began sharing his work on online art sites around the end of 2015. His art is currently in museums across the world. He has been featured in many art journals and blogs on the internet.

In partnership with the Accademia Della Crusca, the exhibition Ne la Pittura held the domain - Three Canticles in Abstract was staged at the Ancient Franciscan Cloisters of Ravenna in 2018. The artist received a solo show at the ZetaEffe Gallery in Florence in 2019.

Luca Brandi: The Spiritual Minimalist Artist

Luca Brandi fell in love with minimalist art and spiritualism after studying artists like Frank Stella and Brice Marden. Later on, he found passion in the metallic color layering. Today, Luca Brandi beautifully combines spiritualism and metallic color layering to create soulful and captivating masterpieces for the masses. These paintings invoke a feeling of self-awareness and self-discovery in the audiences and people from all backgrounds find something invigorating in his work. 

Art followers or audience are vital for any artist, art gallery, influencer, brand, etc.

Whatever their level or business, at least on Instagram, to consider on beginning, this can also apply to other platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, which are also necessary for art, branding, and marketing depending on the niche, message, and product.

Facebook

So far. It is the largest social media platform with the most significant traffic. It also provides business accounts with valuable data for their branding, marketing, and sales campaigns. Furthermore, the easier, faster, and cheaper to grow a brand's presence relies on the available free or paid methods.

However, creating a business page and connecting to Instagram is simple. But then questions arise, what comes next? Or maybe why do I need Facebook in the first place as an artist?

To highlight some of the best answers:

To run powerful, effective, and professional Instagram ads, you should do it through the Facebook business manager platform, NOT from the Instagram app, and to do that, you should have a business Facebook page connected to Instagram. 

To tag the artwork or products prices on Facebook and Instagram, you need a Facebook business page to create a shop. 

Advanced marketing and retargeting campaigns rely on Facebook pixel collected data.

And much more. There are limitless features that will help promote, grow, and sell.

If correctly used!

Facebook Well Used Or Abused 

In general, simple things can lead to confusion on how best to use or endless testing possibilities. And eventually, Without a correct use and relying just on luck alone. It will be a cost of time if it works.

To take advantage of Facebook as an artist, you need to consider creating a plan based on facts that Facebook, in principle, meant to help friends connect; people get to know each other, build relationships, share ideas, and much more. 

And as we know, most artists are firstly noticed from their closest circles, such as friends and relatives, etc. But creating a business art page, then inviting all friends randomly to like or follow to increase numbers will not help, later on, to promote and sell effectively. It will be costly.

Facebook & Instagram Ads

We will not discuss how to build ads from scratch nor the technical hacks or budgets. The internet is full of tutorials covering those subjects, but very few explain how to set up the correct ads introductory psychology, which is the foundation for any advertisement success.

To understand the primary objects on advertisements and how you should follow them in order; even for artists, there are no exceptions:

1. The Informational Stage: (Reach/Brand) or the cold calling: create awareness of brands, artists, products, or services. It announces new products or artworks if you are an artist and can introduce people to new or established products and drive traffic to your business page.

It should be the first option you should take if you consider starting the advertisement.

This outreach aims to get people interested in art, concept, or products based on their demographics and locations with the lowest possible cost.

ProTip: Try to go broad as much as possible, avoid narrowing the audiences. 

2. To Endorse (Interaction/Engagement) or the warm calling: Its goal is to influence users who already saw your previous branding or reach ads ( Part 1 ), and show them the available actions to consider, such as sending a message, visiting page, following, commenting, or liking a post or product.

3. To Remind ( Conversion) or The Closing: Remind visitors and followers about the Artwork, a product, or service they've seen before from the engagement/traffic ad ( Part 2 ), with a direct call to action that shows the features and benefits they will receive when they purchase directly.

In Conclusion

Advertising allows artists, businesses, and brands to repeat a message at intervals selected strategically based on collected data from the first and second phases of the structure of the ads we mentioned earlier. To reduce the cost and to increase the conversion rate.

Repetition makes it more likely that the target audience will see and recall a message, which improves awareness-building results that lead to conversion or sales.

Choosing related art hashtags that match your art style and engagement level is the first crucial step in branding yourself as an artist on Instagram. It will help you to reach the correct audience and guide them to your profile. 

However, using only popular and common art hashtags is not an advantage! Without combining the correct art hashtags based on their level and traffic, it might waste time and opportunities. 

Each artist is different, as is the same art audience. Everyone has a personal taste in art. 

How to choose the best art hashtags?

When it comes to selecting the correct art hashtags, you might as an artist consider three essential elements: 

( First ) The Central Art Analysis

Art is complex and multifaceted, and every art type has its unique keywords to describe it correctly for its art followers, collectors, and audience.

Let us assume, for example, that you are an abstract artist. If you search for the abstract art hashtags, you will find 120+ different levels of abstract art hashtags and 500+ art hashtags related to art in general.

But, to get the best results, it is vital to use the right hashtags with the right strategy.

The right strategy is creating and randomizing the targeted art hashtags for every new post; This does not just increase the links and pointers to your art account, but it will also protect your account from being (shadowbanned)

This is the practice of blocking or partially blocking a user or their content from an online community so that it will not be readily apparent to the user that they have been banned

This happens mainly if the same art hashtags set with every post are repetitively used, and they contain some of the banned hashtags without realizing it. It will disable the listing posts at any art hashtags, meaning you will get less reach and exposure - a risk you cannot afford.

(Second) The Technical Analyses 

The engagement rate is calculated by the number of art followers and their interaction with the posts (likes and comments), determining the correct targeted art hashtags to use. The Art hashtags on Instagram are used in three ways; To maximize the reach, you must combine the three levels correctly. 

The Worst Scenario is to use only the public famous art hashtags - as 80% of artists on Instagram do. In reality, these well-known hashtags serve ONLY accounts with an excellent engagement rate ( 20% or more). A lower engagement rate requires a different strategy and advanced technical analysis to find the best art hashtags that match the engagement level. 

( Third ) The Branded Art Hashtags

We mentioned earlier the correct username on Instagram and how this is something important for artists. It is recommended to use your full name as a username on Instagram; however, it will not be available in many cases. In this case, we recommend you try to include your artistic style with your full name somehow, without dots or underscores. 

Combine them and keep testing what is available. This might seem tedious but is worth it in the long run. As an artist, your name is the brand. The art followers and collectors memorize and recognize the artists based on their titles before their art style. 

The next step is creating your branded art hashtag. This should be similar to your username. It is all about simplicity. But is it simple!? The branded art hashtag is a simple hack for artists but an essential tool for art galleries on Instagram. In addition, it will increase the username ranking on Instagram and Google (or other search engines), meaning more opportunities to attract art followers or collectors.

In Conclusion 

learning more about choosing the correct art hashtags is a fundamental value that will add to your knowledge

We also recommend you to check out Flick as one of the best Instagram hashtags tools and trusted by many famous artists, influencers, and brands. It will help you to find, analyze,  and track your art hashtags and posts performance.

keep creating art,  wish you all the success :)