William Kentridge: Journey to the Moon, Day for Night and …

This body of new work is the result of an ongoing interest of Kentridge in using the exhibition space as a laboratory, or even a surrogate studio, in which to experiment with sketches/studies that collectively create a composite work made of parts and fragments. William Kentridge draws his inspiration from studio-related work by the likes of Bruce Nauman or Jackson Pollock, but his main inspiration comes from an earlier age.In Fragments for Georges Méliès and Journey to the Moon Kentridge combines performance, film and animation in an homage to the beginning of film making and to French film maker George Méliès’ magical experimentations. Although Méliès’ films had many subjects – with a predilection for devils, romantic classics and conjuring tricks performed in front of the camera – the central subject is always Méliès, the artist using the images he has made to try and see himself. Day for Night incorporates the filming of ‘drawings’ made by ants crawling across paper lined with sugar, which when printed in negative turn into visions of the galaxy. (EC)