Friday Inspiration: William Kentridge

Untitled (Rhino), lithograph and collage with watercolor (2007)

Crowd Pleaser (Fig 1), etching with red crayon (2005)

Typewriter with Drinking Glass, etching (2003)

Handspring II, sugarlift, aquatint, drypoint (2009)

William Kentridge is one of those artists that has been cataloged in my brain for a while, but only recently has really resonated with me.

Two things happened:

Firstly, I had the opportunity to hear him speak at Boston University. I couldn't take notes fast enough in my Moleskin. Kentridge's process is multifaceted and fascinating.

And secondly I stumbled on the book William Kentridge: Trace, Prints from the Museum of Modern Art (2010), and was quickly introduced to his facile range of printmaking.

Kentridge is exceptionally prolific. He will engage in an idea or concept in several mediums. He is best known for his experimental films and stop motion animations that are both sociopolitical and viscerally personal. In the last decade he has generated a wide range of prints, staged theatrical productions and designed large scale tapestries.

When asked what he prefers to work in, he simply answered: "Any medium that is flexible and that I can think in."