William Kentridge Stereoscope

Mint Museum of Art at

the Mint Museum Uptown

October 1 - November 5, 2010

Drawing for the film Stereoscope 1998-99     I have been unable to escape Johannesburg. The four houses I have lived in, my school, studio, have all been within three kilometers of each other. And in the end, all my work is rooted in this rather desperate provincial city.

Born in Johannesburg in 1955, William Kentridge grew up during apartheid. Both of his parents were lawyers and Kentridge was well aware of the horrors in the society around him.  His father was an important figure in the anti-apartheid movement and represented Nelson Mandela and Steven Biko, while his mother founded South Africa's first Legal Resources Centre. "Memory and regrets, shame and guilt, betrayal and loss -- these are the primary issues in Kentridge's films, played out against a backdrop of political revolution." (Pollack)

Stereoscope was created in 1999 and is 8:22 minutes long. To view an excerpt from Stereoscope, click here. 

Online Resources 

• Artist profile and overview of Stereoscope from Carnegie Museum of Art. 
• In 2009, Kentridge was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People, and that same year, had an article in Time about his life.
• Kentridge was the winner of 2010's Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy. 
• His Five Themes exhibition from early 2010 at MOMA is accompanied by an excellent interactive page about his works spanning three decades.  Includes clips from short films, photos, a family activity guide, descriptions of his work and an artist commentary. 
• Review from Artdaily.org on the Five Themes exhibition when it was in Paris.
• Video clips  from Art21's new documentary on the artist, William Kentridge: Anything is Possible. A premier screening of the film with the artist will be shown at MOMA on October 18, 2010.
• Kentridge is featured in Art21's 2009 season on PBS, episode "Compassion" 
• Interview with the artist about his recent work in the theater   
• Featured article about Kentridge and one of his pieces in the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• Kentridge is profiled in The Ethics Artist by Barbara Pollack from the Village Voice via artnet.com

Print Resources 

• Divine Comedy; Francisco Goya, Buster Keaton, William Kentridge. Vancouver, BC: Vancouver Art Gallery, 2004.
• Heckler, Judith. William Kentridge: Trace: Prints from the Museum of Modern Art. NY: MOMA, 2010.

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Created by Kelley Grogan and Erin Mullen, volunteers for The Mint Museum Library