When my wife and I  recently visited the Art Gallery of New South Wales we serendipitously came across  an exhibition self curated by William Kentridge.

My wife attended a survey (career) exhibition of his work at the Museum Of Modern Art in New York a few years ago. This was a testament to his international acclaim.

Like many great South African artists of that time and place Kentridge’s work has been forged by apartheid.

This is expressed in drawing, collage, sculpture, stage design, video and immersive slide presentations where one is contained in a black box.

As well as serious issues, there is self deprecating humour at the absurdity of his artistic practice to counteract the seriousness of some of the works messages.

To my mind the exhibition refers to the way in which we forget history, courtesy of the internet and other instantaneous forms of information, and we only see fractured and fleeting glimpses of history when it periodically emerges.

What is particularly illuminating are the quotes alongside each artwork which have been extracted from interviews by Capetown based writer and playwright Jane Taylor with Kentridge. They helped viewers to find visual and thematic links amongst the variety of the artists practice; from his engagement with opera to his love of early cinema, from his striking animated drawings to sculpture and works on paper.

History is often shown in black and white images so when we enter the world of Kentridge it is a mainly monochromatic, black, white and gray universe. When colour makes a rare appearance it is striking and sometimes shocking.

This  free exhibition runs at the AGNSW until 3rd February 2019.

https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/william-kentridge/

Featured image- What will come has already come William Kentridge. All pics by Ben Apfelbaum