Strauss & Co has always enjoyed a reputation for bringing William Kentridge’s finest works to market, but they also regularly run educational webinars and panel discussions that include fine art experts from their stable, such as Wilhelm van Rensburg, speaking to the life and practice of this prolific South African artist.
The auction house also partners with local and international galleries and museums on exhibitions featuring William’s work. One such exhibition at The Warehouse Art Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened in April this year (and runs until 16 December), and gives incredible insight into the artist’s working methods. Titled William Kentridge: See for Yourself and curated by Melanie Herzog, this exhibition features two and three dimensional works on paper.
Printmaking occupies a central role in William’s practice. It is through his prints that he, in a very real sense, registers his working process. Melanie has done a fantastic job of curating the show in such a way as to encourage the viewer to experience the works in a similar way as to how William makes them: in repetitive and cyclical motions, much like life’s ongoing cycles of growth and decay.
Many of the prints on display allow us to more fully appreciate the time and effort that go into the printing process. The exhibition also includes viewing equipment that is incorporated into the works and through which we’re intended to interact with the prints.
This article first appeared in the 2022 annual special edition of YourLuxury Africa.
