Overview

William Kentridge, one of the leading artists of our time, offers a personal account of his childhood, creative practice, and the studio spaces--understood both as physical places and a way of thinking--that have shaped his life and work For more than thirty years, Kentridge's art has been celebrated for its profound engagement with history, politics, and the uncertainties of the human condition. In 2024, he delivered the prestigious Slade Lectures at the University of Oxford; A Natural History of the Studio brings these together in a lively, book-length exploration of the creative process. Moving between memory, art history, and experiment, Kentridge shows how ""the outside world dissolves"" into the artist's materials. Inside his studio, films are run backwards and forwards, a glimpse of dappled light brushes up against Constable's vast river landscapes, and Kentridge's own work slowly takes shape and comes into view. Playful and erudite, he emerges as the rare artist with a gift for writing clearly and generously about the creative act.

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9780802167255

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Reviews

Praise for William Kentridge: ""[Kentridge's] inimitable art remains so compelling and urgent because it demonstrates the universal need to address inequity and social justice everywhere throughout the world, not just in his native South Africa.""--Gary Tinterow, Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, on the exhibit William Kentridge: In Praise of Shadows ""William Kentridge brings a profound humanism and collaborative spirit to every aspect of his work,"" added Alison de Lima Greene, the MFAH's Isabel Brown Wilson curator of modern and contemporary art. ""He surveys the world around us with an attentive and critical eye, uncovering stories that are at once viscerally personal and universally relatable.""--Alison de Lima Greene, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, on the exhibit William Kentridge: In Praise of Shadows ""[Kentridge's] work is a revelation...It's a road map to how a studio can function and how an artist can think through substantial social issues and bigger historical narratives without being didactic.""--Ed Schad, curator at The Broad Museum of Los Angeles, on the exhibit William Kentridge: In Praise of Shadows ""[This] is an enlightening, circuitous, and self-reflexive performance that delves into [Kentridge's] greatest obsessions in the realms of art, politics, history, and image-making... This is an essential book for anybody seeking a better understanding of Kentridge's work.""--Publishers Weekly on Six Drawing Lessons ""Anyone who has seen the film animations of the great South African artist will be fascinated by the account he gives of his thinking and studio practice.""--Kenneth Baker, San Francisco Chronicle on Six Drawing Lessons ""This is a beautiful and necessary book in all respects... Enthusiastically recommended.""--S. Skaggs, Choice on Six Drawing Lessons

Author Information

Born in 1955 in Johannesburg, South Africa, William Kentridge is one of the world's foremost contemporary artists. His work spans drawing, film, performance, and opera, and is presented at leading institutions worldwide. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Kyoto Prize, and holds honorary doctorates from Yale, Columbia University, and The University of London. He lives and works in Johannesburg.

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