William Kentridge – författare

For more than three decades, artist William Kentridge has explored in his work the nature of subjectivity, the possibilities of revolution, the Enlightenment's legacy in Africa, and the nature of time itself. At the same time, his creative work has stretched the boundaries of the very media he employs. Though his pieces have allowed viewers to encounter the traditions of landscape and self-portraiture, the limits of representation and the possibilities for animated drawing, and the labor of art, a guide to understanding the full scope of his art has been available until now. For five days, Kentridge sat with Rosalind C. Morris to talk about his work. The result That Which Is Not Drawn;is a wide-ranging conversation and deep investigation into the artist's techniques and into the psychic and philosophical underpinnings of his body of work. In these pages, Kentridge explains the key concerns of his art, including the virtues of bastardy, the ethics of provisionality, the nature of translation and the activity of the viewer.And together, Kentridge and Morris trace the migration of images across his works and consider the possibilities for a revolutionary art that remains committed to its own transformation. "That's the thing about a conversation," Kentridge reflects. "The activity and the performance, whether it's the performance of drawing or the performance of speech and conversation, is also the engine for new thoughts to happen. It's not just a report of something you know." And here, in this engaging dialogue, we at last have a guide to the continually exciting, continually changing work of one of our greatest living artists.

For more than three decades, South African artist William Kentridge has created a vast body of work comprising drawings and multimedia installations that have been exhibited worldwide.Here he immerses us in the artistic, intellectual and production processes of his creations, providing philosophical, autobiographical, technical and practical commentary and giving intimate insight into the studios where he has created throughout his life.A Natural History of the Studio is not only a must-read for admirers of Kentridge's work, but also a vibrant personal and philosophical exploration of the creative process and a critical look at the world and the human condition.

“A beautiful and necessary book...as brisk as it is insightful.”—Choice South Africa’s most celebrated artist on art, colonialism, and studio practice.Over the last three decades, the visual artist William Kentridge has garnered international acclaim for his work across media including drawing, film, sculpture, printmaking, and theater. Rendered in stark contrasts of black and white, his images reflect his native South Africa and, like endlessly suggestive shadows, point to something more elemental as well. Based on the 2012 Charles Eliot Norton Lectures, Six Drawing Lessons is the most comprehensive collection available of Kentridge’s thoughts on art, art-making, and the studio.Art, Kentridge says, is its own form of knowledge. It does not simply supplement the real world, and it cannot be purely understood in the rational terms of traditional academic disciplines. The studio is the crucial location for the creation of meaning: the place where linear thinking is abandoned and the material processes of the eye, the hand, the charcoal and paper become themselves the guides of creativity. Drawing has the potential to educate us about the most complex issues of our time. This is the real meaning of “drawing lessons.”Incorporating elements of graphic design and ranging freely from discussions of Plato’s cave to the Enlightenment’s role in colonial oppression to the depiction of animals in art, Six Drawing Lessons is an illustration in print of its own thesis of how art creates knowledge. Foregrounding the very processes by which we see, Kentridge makes us more aware of the mechanisms—and deceptions—through which we construct meaning in the world.

Over the last twenty years, William Kentridge has built a world-wide reputation as a contemporary artist, best known for his series of ten animated films created from charcoal drawings. The films introduced a significant character in contemporary fiction: Soho Eckstein, a Highveld mining magnate and Kentridge's alter ego. In The Soho Chronicles, Kentridge's brother, Matthew, shares a never-before-seen perspective on both William and Soho that sheds new light on the creator and his alter ego. Richly illustrated, the book includes a special feature that connects with smartphones and tablets. In Accounts and Drawings from Underground, William Kentridge and Rosalind C. Morris bring us an unprecedented collaboration using the pages of the 1906 Cash Book of the East Rand Proprietary Mines Corporation. Kentridge contributes forty landscape drawings in response to the transient terrain mining, while Morris plumbs the text of the cash book to generate a unique narrative account, drawing together the stories of migrant laborers and charting the flows of capital and desire.

In Accounts and Drawings from Underground, published in 2015, renowned artist William Kentridge and scholar Rosalind C. Morris brought us an unprecedented collaboration, taking pages of the 1906 Cash Book of the East Rand Proprietary Mines Corporation in South Africa and transforming them into something entirely new. While Kentridge contributed breathtaking landscape drawings in response to the transient terrain mining created, Morris plumbed the text of the cash book to generate a unique narrative account. Now, they revisit those ruined mines, with a visual and verbal addendum that provides an account of the ongoing metamorphosis of the world that gold mines created. Kentridge works on the threshold between the visible and the invisible, while Morris mines the unsaid in order to make it understandable. Together they’ve created a landmark book that chronicles the exploitation of African communities and sheds further light on global Black history. With fifteen stunning new color drawings by Kentridge and an additional coda, this revised edition of Accounts and Drawings from Underground continues its remarkable documentation of the stories of migrant laborers and the flows of capital and desire, providing us with a palpable sense of a vanished world.

An exploration of phrases and excerpts that inspire a major contemporary artist.  Over the past several years, renowned South African artist William Kentridge has made a collection of particular phrases and sentences that have called out to him from the pages of whatever he has been reading. And these phrases, which he has written into a studio notebook titled Words, have been put to work in many of his artistic projects. Kentridge has often begun a project by paging through the notebook, waiting for a phrase to claim its place in the new work. The text excerpts come from many sources: Aimé Césaire, Yehuda Amichai, Sigmund Freud, James Joyce, Setswana proverbs, the Book of Ecclesiastes, Tristan Tzara’s Dada Manifesto, and a range of eastern European poets. This volume presents a selection made from the notebook, with phrases arranged neither randomly nor with a clear agenda but finding a space in between. Cleverly designed by the artist and beautifully produced, Words is a thought-provoking collection that provides a window to the mind of a contemporary creative genius.

Sophiatown was the ‘Chicago of South Africa’, a vibrant community that produced not only gangsters and shebeen queens but leading journalists, writers, musicians and politicians, and gave urban African culture its rhythm and style. This play, based on the life history of Sophiatown, opened at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg in February 1986 to great acclaim. The play won the AA Life Vita Award for Playwright of the Year 1985/86. This new edition of the play includes an introduction which sets the work in its historical context.

With her earliest work, Penny Siopis established herself as one of the most talented and challenging visual artists in and beyond South Africa. Penny Siopis: Time and Again engages in a variety of ways with her work of the past thirty-five years. A conversation between the artist and the editor, Gerrit Olivier, unfolds throughout the book, giving the reader fascinating insights into her working methods, her strong interest in form and different genres, her theoretical concerns and her views on the position of art in a socio-political context. The first chapter by Achille Mbembe, on her latest work, considers how creation takes hold in the wake of loss. Siopis’s abiding interest in what she calls ‘the poetics of vulnerability’ – manifest in a tension between materiality and image – coalesces with her explorations of history, sexuality, race, memory, estrangement and violence in her paintings, installations and films. With reference to works such as Patience on a Monument, Pinky Pinky, Shame, My Lovely Day, ObscureWhite Messenger and Communion, these themes are explored in commentaries by TJ Demos, Jennifer Law, Njabulo Ndebele, Sarah Nuttall, Griselda Pollock and Colin Richards. A conversation between Siopis and William Kentridge illuminates the trajectory of their own work and that of South African art. The elegant design of the book showcases what Alessandra De Angelis calls the ‘incredible beauty’ of Siopis’s work. The vibrant imagery is testimony to Siopis’s ability to combine profound ideas with forms that have a visceral impact on the viewer. As suggested by the title, this book is a stitching together of memory and the promise of return, of loss and creation in a process of perpetual renewal.

With her earliest work, Penny Siopis established herself as one of the most talented and challenging visual artists in and beyond South Africa. Penny Siopis: Time and Again engages in a variety of ways with her work of the past thirty-five years. A conversation between the artist and the editor, Gerrit Olivier, unfolds throughout the book, giving the reader fascinating insights into her working methods, her strong interest in form and different genres, her theoretical concerns and her views on the position of art in a socio-political context. The first chapter by Achille Mbembe, on her latest work, considers how creation takes hold in the wake of loss. Siopis’s abiding interest in what she calls ‘the poetics of vulnerability’ – manifest in a tension between materiality and image – coalesces with her explorations of history, sexuality, race, memory, estrangement and violence in her paintings, installations and films. With reference to works such as Patience on a Monument, Pinky Pinky, Shame, My Lovely Day, ObscureWhite Messenger and Communion, these themes are explored in commentaries by TJ Demos, Jennifer Law, Njabulo Ndebele, Sarah Nuttall, Griselda Pollock and Colin Richards. A conversation between Siopis and William Kentridge illuminates the trajectory of their own work and that of South African art. The elegant design of the book showcases what Alessandra De Angelis calls the ‘incredible beauty’ of Siopis’s work. The vibrant imagery is testimony to Siopis’s ability to combine profound ideas with forms that have a visceral impact on the viewer. As suggested by the title, this book is a stitching together of memory and the promise of return, of loss and creation in a process of perpetual renewal.

Designed to foster critical engagement and interest the specialist and non-specialist alike, each book in the Frick Diptych series illuminates a single work in the Frick's rich collection with an essay by a Frick curator paired with a contribution from a contemporary artist or writer. The White Horse (1819) by John Constable (1776–1837) is the first of the series of the "six-footers," monumental landscapes of the English countryside that would become the artist's most famous works. Constable described the scene as "a placid representation of a serene, grey morning, summer." Years later, he said, "there are generally in the life of an artist perhaps one, two or three pictures, on which hang more than usual interest - this is mine". An essay by Aimee Ng, Frick Curator, paired with a contribution by artist William Kentridge bring to life one of Constable's most serene depictions of rural life, the artist's personal favorite. AUTHORS: William Kentridge (born 28 April 1955) is a South African artist whose work spans a diverse range of artistic media such as drawing, performance, film, printmaking, sculpture and painting. Kentridge has also directed a number of acclaimed operas and theatrical productions. Aimee Ng is a curator at The Frick Collection, New York, and is a specialist in Italian Renaissance art. 38 colour illustrations

Unsere Auffassungen von Zeit verändern sich fortwährend auf vielschichtige Art und Weise. Dies ist eine Untersuchung dieser Verschiebungen und Kämpfe in Form von Zeichnungen und Texten, Musik und Bewegung bis hin zu Filmen und Konzepten. Gegen Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts wurde Zeit übergreifend organisiert: Dörfer, Städte, ganze Länder wurden ihrer »eigenen« Zeit beraubt, als die Uhren mithilfe von Signalen synchronisiert wurden. Albert Einstein stieß mit seiner radikalen Idee, die die Vorstellung eines »überallhörbaren Tik-Tak« zugunsten von Zeiten, die nicht Zeit sind, außer Kraft setzte, auf erbitterten Widerstand. Auch in unserem eigenen Zeitalter wird die Zeit wieder durcheinandergewirbelt – die Zeit wird mit Informationen gekreuzt, sie wird herausgefordert am Horizont Schwarzer Löcher oder sogar von vielen Stringtheoretikern als pure Illusion dargestellt. In einer kongenialen langfristigen Partnerschaft mit Peter L. Galison, Historiker, Autor, Filmemacher sowie Professor für die Geschichte der Wissenschaften und der Physik an der Harvard University, widmet sich der südafrikanische Künstler William Kentridge der Erforschung dieser Ideen in Die Ablehnung der Zeit, ein Projekt für die dOCUMENTA (13), in dessen Entstehen das vorliegende Notizbuch Einblick gewährt. Sprache: Deutsch/EnglischWilliam Kentridge (*1955 in Johannesburg, Südafrika) schloss 1976 ein Studium der Politik und Afrikanistik an der Witwatersrand-Universität in Johannesburg ab. 1976-1978 studierte er Druckgrafik an der Johannesburg Art Foundation. 1981/82 nahm er an der École internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecog in Paris Pantomime- und Schauspielunterricht. Seit den 1980er-Jahren wurde sein Werk in zahlreichen Einzel- und Gruppenausstellungen gezeigt, Fünf Themen etwa war 2010 am MoMA, New York, dem Jeu de Paume, Paris, und an der Albertina, Wien, zu sehen. Kentridge war Teilnehmer der documenta X (1997) sowie der Documenta11 (2002) und ist auch auf der dOCUMENTA (13) (2012) vertreten. Er wurde mit verschiedenen Preisen ausgezeichnet, darunter 2003 mit dem Kaiserring der Stadt Goslar, 2010 mit dem Kyoto-Preis für Kunst und Philosophie. Der Künstler lebt und arbeitet in Johannesburg.Stand: Juni 2012William Kentridge (*1955 in Johannesburg, Südafrika) schloss 1976 ein Studium der Politik und Afrikanistik an der Witwatersrand-Universität in Johannesburg ab. 1976-1978 studierte er Druckgrafik an der Johannesburg Art Foundation. 1981/82 nahm er an der École internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecog in Paris Pantomime- und Schauspielunterricht. Seit den 1980er-Jahren wurde sein Werk in zahlreichen Einzel- und Gruppenausstellungen gezeigt, Fünf Themen etwa war 2010 am MoMA, New York, dem Jeu de Paume, Paris, und an der Albertina, Wien, zu sehen. Kentridge war Teilnehmer der documenta X (1997) sowie der Documenta11 (2002) und ist auch auf der dOCUMENTA (13) (2012) vertreten. Er wurde mit verschiedenen Preisen ausgezeichnet, darunter 2003 mit dem Kaiserring der Stadt Goslar, 2010 mit dem Kyoto-Preis für Kunst und Philosophie. Der Künstler lebt und arbeitet in Johannesburg.Stand: Juni 2012

Unsere Auffassungen von Zeit verändern sich fortwährend auf vielschichtige Art und Weise. Dies ist eine Untersuchung dieser Verschiebungen und Kämpfe in Form von Zeichnungen und Texten, Musik und Bewegung bis hin zu Filmen und Konzepten. Gegen Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts wurde Zeit übergreifend organisiert: Dörfer, Städte, ganze Länder wurden ihrer »eigenen« Zeit beraubt, als die Uhren mithilfe von Signalen synchronisiert wurden. Albert Einstein stieß mit seiner radikalen Idee, die die Vorstellung eines »überallhörbaren Tik-Tak« zugunsten von Zeiten, die nicht Zeit sind, außer Kraft setzte, auf erbitterten Widerstand. Auch in unserem eigenen Zeitalter wird die Zeit wieder durcheinandergewirbelt – die Zeit wird mit Informationen gekreuzt, sie wird herausgefordert am Horizont Schwarzer Löcher oder sogar von vielen Stringtheoretikern als pure Illusion dargestellt.  In einer kongenialen langfristigen Partnerschaft mit Peter L. Galison, Historiker, Autor, Filmemacher sowie Professor für die Geschichte der Wissenschaften und der Physik an der Harvard University, widmet sich der südafrikanische Künstler William Kentridge der Erforschung dieser Ideen in Die Ablehnung der Zeit, ein Projekt für die dOCUMENTA (13), in dessen Entstehen das vorliegende Notizbuch Einblick gewährt.    Sprache: Deutsch/Englisch William Kentridge (*1955 in Johannesburg, Südafrika) schloss 1976 ein Studium der Politik und Afrikanistik an der Witwatersrand-Universität in Johannesburg ab. 1976-1978 studierte er Druckgrafik an der Johannesburg Art Foundation. 1981/82 nahm er an der École internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecog in Paris Pantomime- und Schauspielunterricht. Seit den 1980er-Jahren wurde sein Werk in zahlreichen Einzel- und Gruppenausstellungen gezeigt, Fünf Themen etwa war 2010 am MoMA, New York, dem Jeu de Paume, Paris, und an der Albertina, Wien, zu sehen. Kentridge war Teilnehmer der documenta X (1997) sowie der Documenta11 (2002) und ist auch auf der dOCUMENTA (13) (2012) vertreten. Er wurde mit verschiedenen Preisen ausgezeichnet, darunter 2003 mit dem Kaiserring der Stadt Goslar, 2010 mit dem Kyoto-Preis für Kunst und Philosophie. Der Künstler lebt und arbeitet in Johannesburg.Stand: Juni 2012William Kentridge (*1955 in Johannesburg, Südafrika) schloss 1976 ein Studium der Politik und Afrikanistik an der Witwatersrand-Universität in Johannesburg ab. 1976-1978 studierte er Druckgrafik an der Johannesburg Art Foundation. 1981/82 nahm er an der École internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecog in Paris Pantomime- und Schauspielunterricht. Seit den 1980er-Jahren wurde sein Werk in zahlreichen Einzel- und Gruppenausstellungen gezeigt, Fünf Themen etwa war 2010 am MoMA, New York, dem Jeu de Paume, Paris, und an der Albertina, Wien, zu sehen. Kentridge war Teilnehmer der documenta X (1997) sowie der Documenta11 (2002) und ist auch auf der dOCUMENTA (13) (2012) vertreten. Er wurde mit verschiedenen Preisen ausgezeichnet, darunter 2003 mit dem Kaiserring der Stadt Goslar, 2010 mit dem Kyoto-Preis für Kunst und Philosophie. Der Künstler lebt und arbeitet in Johannesburg.Stand: Juni 2012

William Kentridge reimagines his film series Self-Portrait as a Coffee-Pot through text and image in this striking artist’s book.William Kentridge reimagines his film series ‘Self-Portrait as a Coffee Pot’ that premiered during the 2024 Venice Biennale in this comprehensive artist’s book. The artist enters into a rich dialogue with himself in the studio, hashing out questions of art, work, memory, history, and time in magnitudes ranging from the intimate to the universal. Created in close collaboration with the artist, this publication translates his multidisciplinary approach to his films—combining film with performance, collage, drawing, and music—into book form, richly illustrated, with exquisite special features such as tipped-in drawings and transparent interleaves bringing the vivid materiality of the artist’s studio into the hands of the reader.