I have watched a video of William Kentridge discussing his process of making. He talks about how animations can depict transformation. Kentridge uses charcoal which is a fluid material to work with. It can be manipulated and and is very easy to erase. Kentridge says that the tonal range in colour is very good for creating photographic film, and likes working with it because of its 'speed of transformability'. He states that he can change the drawing as quickly as he can think, therefore uses drawing with charcoal as a way of thinking rather than a physical medium.
The contrasting black and white medium may be significant of the segregation of black and white community in South Africa. After a massacre in South Africa, Kentridge visited the location and drew from the remaining landscape. He found that the thoughts of this tragedy disappeared when making practical decisions and then arrived back to the image that corresponded to the first thinking. The grubby charcoal medium reflects the dirty, horrific imagery caused within the scene.
The contrasting black and white medium may be significant of the segregation of black and white community in South Africa. After a massacre in South Africa, Kentridge visited the location and drew from the remaining landscape. He found that the thoughts of this tragedy disappeared when making practical decisions and then arrived back to the image that corresponded to the first thinking. The grubby charcoal medium reflects the dirty, horrific imagery caused within the scene.
William Kentridge's films are created without a script or story board. He plans out one or two key images at the beginnings of the film and starts with drawing those. From these drawings, the physical process of making the film suggests new ideas which transform the development of the film.
A film would usually be shot in a day. Kentridge's films are more time consuming to create as his camera is set up on the other side of the studio, facing his paper upon the wall. He walks back and forth between the two and will shoot 2 frames each time something on the paper has been changed. Kentridge will make lines fatter, thinner, darker and lighter in order to create the effect he wants. He makes many alterations on one piece of paper and is not aware of what is being shot. He only sees the state of the drawing at that present moment.
Kentridge is considered by some people as a political artist however by some political artists, is not. He says there is evidence of politics within his work however is not interested in illustrating a political thesis but is 'polemic about the provisionality of it.'
When drawing, his inspiration is a combination of what comes from the picture and what he projects onto it from his own experiences, histories, readings and prejudices.
Uncertainty and provisionality are key aspects which ground Kentridge's work. Like Martha Rosler, he speaks about the artist as a viewer and a maker. It is obvious in the studio to step back and see what is wrong through being critical of your own work. However, it is less obvious that this is how we operate within the world. The demonstration in the studio is how we make sense of the world which is emblematic for how it is done outside of the studio.
As a student, Kentridge was told to specialise in either theatre or drawing, otherwise he would only be an amateur. It took him years to unlearn what he had been told and understood that his hope was the cross fertilisation between mediums and genres.
This relates to the the Collide brief we have been exploring.
Kentridge is considered by some people as a political artist however by some political artists, is not. He says there is evidence of politics within his work however is not interested in illustrating a political thesis but is 'polemic about the provisionality of it.'
When drawing, his inspiration is a combination of what comes from the picture and what he projects onto it from his own experiences, histories, readings and prejudices.
Uncertainty and provisionality are key aspects which ground Kentridge's work. Like Martha Rosler, he speaks about the artist as a viewer and a maker. It is obvious in the studio to step back and see what is wrong through being critical of your own work. However, it is less obvious that this is how we operate within the world. The demonstration in the studio is how we make sense of the world which is emblematic for how it is done outside of the studio.
As a student, Kentridge was told to specialise in either theatre or drawing, otherwise he would only be an amateur. It took him years to unlearn what he had been told and understood that his hope was the cross fertilisation between mediums and genres.
This relates to the the Collide brief we have been exploring.
I like the gestural approach to drawing as a way of thinking. The charcoal medium is something which can be transformed instantly therefore it can be manipulated as fast as your mind can change. This is similar to working digitally. Previous stages can be undone with the click of a button, as opposed to working with a more permanent material such as ink or paint. The difference is, you are still left with a faint impression of the charcoal when rubbed out. The one piece of paper holds his constant flow of thoughts and is like a record of this process which has slowly developed when shooting the film. When creating animations, it would be interesting to consider exploring alternative ways of working and incorporating the idea of interdisciplinary within my practice. This 'cross fertilisation' of mediums and genres may lead to a broader set of opportunities for design. The idea of uncertainty can also provide multiple ideas and pathways to explore.
'William Kentridge on his process'- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_UphwAfjhk
'William Kentridge: How we make Sense of the world'- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G11wOmxoJ6U
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