Name this S. African artist / film maker

July 26, 2004 5:31 AM

A while ago I saw a report about a South-African artist whose name I cannot remember.
Here's what I know: He is a white male, maybe 60 years old. He used a unique technique to create short films: he sketched frame by frame with a pencil or coal and then took a photograph of the drawing. He then erased the canvas and placed the next sketch over it (he only erased the parts which had been in motion). I also remember that some of his films dealt about the apartheid policy.
posted by tcp to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

William Kentridge? I haven't seen nor heard of him but this sounds like what you're talking about.
posted by substrate at 6:16 AM on July 26, 2004

Definitely Kentridge. His stuff is fantastic.
posted by anathema at 6:33 AM on July 26, 2004

Thank you! That's him. Fantastic work, indeed.
posted by tcp at 6:46 AM on July 26, 2004

It does look excellent, here's a link to a QuickTime interview with him. Here's another link to a gallery. Here's a page describing him and his work which includes a QuickTime clip from one of his movies.

Now it's time to work again :P
posted by substrate at 7:33 AM on July 26, 2004

OK, one more link. There's a CD-ROM with his animations and other works here
posted by substrate at 7:35 AM on July 26, 2004

I tend to buy the CD-ROM, it is available at Amazon (unfortunately Amazon only accepts payment by credit card... doh).
posted by tcp at 7:43 AM on July 26, 2004

if you're in the bay area, you can see some of his work at the sfmoma. it's in their permanent collection & is currently on the 2nd floor.

there's also a great piece in the bilbao guggenheim, if you happen to be there.
posted by judith at 11:11 AM on July 26, 2004

I agree, the installation at SFMOMA is a good one. His first big U.S. retrospective toured a couple of years ago and was just brilliant -- the catalogue is still available (and is excellent), as is a small publication for the Weighing...and Wanting series. (If ordering via Amazon is problematic, the catalogue is also available directly from the publisher -- it will be pricier, I imagine, but you might be able send a check instead, or have it ordered through a bookstore).
posted by scody at 11:28 AM on July 26, 2004

He also created a music video for local band Mango Groove's song Another Country. You can order it (along with other videos of his) here.
posted by PenDevil at 1:28 AM on July 27, 2004