The painstaking art of erasing history to create animation
In short: Discover the labor-intensive process behind William Kentridge's hand-drawn films. This video explores how the South African artist uses physical erasure to capture the weight of history and the transition of a nation.
William Kentridge first gained recognition for hand-drawn animations set in the industrial landscape of Johannesburg. His work, such as the 1989 film 'Johannesburg, 2nd Greatest City After Paris,' serves as a meditation on the oppressive Apartheid era and the subsequent move toward a multiracial democracy.
The technique is uniquely demanding: Kentridge painstakingly films and then erases drawings frame by frame over many months. This physical process of removal mirrors the complexities of South Africa's painful transition, making the medium as much about what is lost as what remains.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: imagine Shorts: The Handmade Films of William Kentridge - Part 1
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