Flora Wirgman
Cataloguer
Lot 50*,AR
William Joseph Kentridge(South African, born 1955)Sophiatown at Civitavecchia
12 October 2021, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £40,250 inc. premium
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William Joseph Kentridge (South African, born 1955)
Sophiatown at Civitavecchia
signed and dated 'Kentridge 88' (lower right)
mixed media, gouache and charcoal pencil on wove paper
75.8 x 56.8cm (29 13/16 x 22 3/8in).
signed and dated 'Kentridge 88' (lower right)
mixed media, gouache and charcoal pencil on wove paper
75.8 x 56.8cm (29 13/16 x 22 3/8in).
Footnotes
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist, 1988;
A private collection.
Kentridge's works from the late 80s include some of his most vital and visually satisfying creations, often reflecting the tense, troublesome times in which they were produced. Although Kentridge has described himself as a self-imposed "captive" in his native city, his works from this period often include images of leaving, of escape and departure.
This work was executed by the artist whilst he was acting and directing at the Junction Avenue Theatre Company in Johannesburg (1975-91) and depicts the actors Ramolao Makhene and Patrick Shai looking out to sea at Civitavecchia, Italy.
Kentridge was working with Shai and Makhene who both appeared in the 1986 play 'Sophiatown' for which Kentridge produced the set designs. The artist has said of this production:
"This was a play made by the Junction Avenue Theatre Company, which was a non-¬racial theatre company in Johannesburg in the 1980s and 90s, at a time when this was very rare. It was a place for improvisations and white and black actors meeting and finding points of contact. It was always an imperfect meeting of people from backgrounds of privilege and people who were in difficult conditions in the townships. "
The work also focuses heavily on man's influence on his surroundings, revealing a South Africa which is on one hand sleek and civilised, and on the other edgy, even threatening. It is an example of the young Kentridge at his peak, displaying his signature vibrancy and his political philosophy, its impressive scale reinforcing the potent theatricality of his artistic technique.
We are grateful to the artist for confirming that the figures at back of this composition are Ramolao Makhene and Patrick Shai looking out to sea at Civitavecchia, Italy.
