William Kentridge

I was really captivated by the style of William Kentridge's short films. The way he would make a drawing using charcoal, then erase it and alter it many times in order to create just one scene.

When we watched the finished product, the style seems very dark. I don't like dark. But for some reason, I was hooked to his short films. They were beautiful. I especially loved the way you were able to see traces and remnants of the past in his drawings. As the story progressed and things moved around, you could see their past, where they have been, and where they come from. I think that this is beautiful because it lets you know of the past, while at the same time telling you a story of the present. You know where things came from and how they came to be.

This leads to something else I thought was really awesome. As you progressed in the story and in the image, everything got messier. The image became more intricate, more filled in, and even darker. This adds a level of meaning, because more things have happened, and more things are happening.

I just feel like William Kentridge is able to tell a story's past, present, and future in just one frame, and I think he does it beautifully.