Spectrometre
Artist
William Kentridge
(South African, b. 1955)
Date2000
MediumHandpainted digital IRIS print
Dimensions17 1/2 x 23 3/4 in. (44.5 x 60.3 cm)
ClassificationsContemporary art
Credit LineGift of Renée and Paul Mansheim
Object number2011.13.3
On View
Not on viewLabel TextWilliam Kentridge South African (b. 1955) Spectrometre, 2000 Hand-painted digital IRIS print Gift of Renée and Paul Mansheim 2011.13.3 This internationally renowned artist enlivens the drawing process by creating narrative films based on sketches that speak to his experiences growing up in South Africa during Apartheid. The artist begins by creating finished drawings, which are photographed at various stages of execution and become the basis for his films. In this print, pages of an encyclopedia form the backdrop for sketches of two characters from William Kentridge’s films. Felix Teitlebaum and Sarah Eckstein are visually connected on the page, but psychologically are much distanced. Sarah’s husband, Soho Eckstein, is a wealthy Johannesburg mine owner. Felix, as Kentridge’s alter-ego, plays the role of the sensual and emotive artist, a perpetual dreamer who eventually enters into an illicit relationship with her.
