South African Projections: Four Short Films by William Kentridge

Acclaimed for the dramatic narrative quality of his work, South African artist William Kentridge transforms the traditional medium of charcoal drawing into animated film by successively filming drawn and erased alterations of his work. The hand of the draftsman is seen in the charcoal lines, in t... Read more

Acclaimed for the dramatic narrative quality of his work, South African artist William Kentridge transforms the traditional medium of charcoal drawing into animated film by successively filming drawn and erased alterations of his work. The hand of the draftsman is seen in the charcoal lines, in the smudges and silhouettes that leave the mark of time across the moving images. The four films presented here depict the fictional Jewish antagonists Soho Eckstein and Felix Teitelbaum, who begin as alter egos of each other. While the latter is initially a partial self-portrait, Kentridge complicates this as protagonist and antagonist exchange attributes. The characters metaphorically play out the social, political, and moral legacy of apartheid as they go about their daily lives. The artist’s complex narratives explore politically specific themes from recent South African history and address personal and universal concerns, such as the nature of memory, greed, love, and jealousy.