Sporadic Applause – William Kentridge
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Product detailed description
The Rubrics series is part of William Kentridge’s long-term practice, in which he works with short textual fragments – sentences, notes, or snippets of thought recorded in his notebooks. These phrases become the starting point for visual compositions where words transform into images and images back into thought.
Each silkscreen is created through a combination of gestural drawing, layering, and typographic elements, often printed on found or distinctive papers that give each piece its own character. The surface itself carries its own history – subtle imperfections, texture, and visual traces of a previous existence. These layers become part of the final work, making every piece unique. The use of color – whether red or blue – is not merely aesthetic, but part of a visual language that emphasizes the tension between meaning and form.
The result is a collectible object that exists at the intersection of printmaking, drawing, and conceptual art – a characteristic example of Kentridge’s ability to connect personal gesture with broader cultural and historical contexts. Each piece functions as an autonomous work while also forming part of a larger whole. Rubrics are not illustrations of a fixed message – rather, they open up space for interpretation and active reading of the image.
| Artist | William Kentridge |
| Series | Rubrics |
| Title | Sporadic Applause |
| Year | 2017 |
| Technique | Lapis Lazuli pigment screen print from Latin Thesaurus |
| Dimensions | 44 x 53 cm |
| Edition | 8 pieces |
William Kentridge
William Kentridge (*1955, Johannesburg) is one of the most important contemporary artists. His practice spans drawing, printmaking, film, animation, theatre, and installation, and consistently explores the relationship between image, time, and memory.
His work is deeply shaped by the historical and political context of South Africa, particularly the era of apartheid. Kentridge addresses themes such as power, injustice, collective memory, and human responsibility, often working through fragmentation, repetition, and shifting meaning.
Drawing plays a central role in his process as a living, evolving medium – images are never fixed, but continuously erased, redrawn, and transformed. This openness and layered approach make his work a powerful and timeless reflection on the world around us.
Additional parameters
| Category: | Limited editions |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 4.1 kg |
| Artist: | William Kentridge |
| Categories: | silkscreen prints |
| Products: | limited editions |
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William Kentridge is a South African artist internationally renowned for his drawings, prints, and pioneering animated films. He became widely known in the 1990s for his hand-drawn animation technique based on drawing, erasing, altering the image, and filming each stage — a process that leaves visible traces of change and has become his unmistakable artistic signature.
Kentridge’s work explores themes such as memory, history, colonialism, and the political complexities of South Africa. His pieces function as poetic visual essays, combining the tactility of drawing with the narrative depth of film.
Today, Kentridge is considered one of the most influential contemporary artists worldwide. His work has been exhibited at Tate Modern, MoMA, the Venice Biennale, and Documenta, among many other major institutions.