The visibility of South African multi-media artist William Kentridge has ratcheted up considerably since his artistry is now being showcased at the Metropolitan Opera House. There, Kentridge has staged and directed Alban Berg’s opera The Lulu Plays, which first premiered in 1937. For those who can’t take in the celebrated opera (or won't since it happens to be a staggering four hours long), but want to see some of the drawings which Kentridge created for the production and had projected onto the stage sets, there’s a fortuitous alternative.
New York's Marian Goodman Gallery presents ‘Drawings for Lulu’, an exhibition of 67 working drawings, along with four signed linocut prints and a limited-edition artist book, The Lulu Plays by Frank Wedekind, which features illustrations by the Kentridge and is published by Arion Press.
For his drawings, Kentridge reached back to German Expressionist woodcuts, such as Kirchner, for inspiration to render the tale of a femme fatale’s descent into prison and eventually death. In applying black ink onto actual dictionary pages, the artist captures the characters, some of which he based on historical figures like Sigmund Freud, in a fractured form telling of a ruthless world.
There’s a hauntingly electric nature to the drawings, which vividly tell of Lulu’s tragic demise. With the opera already receiving rave reviews, this show is another way to take in Kentridge’s latest creations.
The drawings correspond to Kentridge's production of 'The Lulu Plays', an opera from 1937 that's currently being performed at the Metropolitan Opera
Kentridge created the drawings for the production to be projected onto the stage sets
In applying black ink onto actual dictionary pages, the artist captures the characters, some of which he based on historical figures in a fractured form telling of the story
Kentridge reached back to German Expressionist woodcuts such as Kirchner for inspiration to render the tale of a femme fatale’s descent into prison and eventually death
Kentridge notes, 'The physicality of ink - black ink, ink as blood, the harsh line and clarity of images corresponding to the ruthless world, becomes an aesthetic equivalent of the instability of desire, a central construct of the Lulu opera.'
The exhibition also includes a limited edition artist book, 'The Lulu Plays' by Frank Wedekind, illustrated by the artist and published by Arion Press
INFORMATION
Website
‘Drawings for Lulu’ is on view until 19 December
ADDRESS
Marian Goodman Gallery
24 West 57th Street
New York, New York
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