William Kentridge: Studio Life Gravures

William Kentridge: Studio Life Gravures
David Krut Projects, New York
October 25 - December 16, 2022

Opening Reception: Tuesday, October 25 from 6-8pm

David Krut Projects, New York is pleased to present a new series of gravure editions by William Kentridge, produced in collaboration with the David Krut Workshop (DKW) in South Africa and Jillian Ross Print (JRP) in Canada. 

This exhibition presents two bodies of work created through the gravure process. Studio Life is a series of twelve photogravures, featuring the artist at work in his studio, created over two years. The second series resonates with images in Kentridge’s current exhibition at The Royal Academy in London, where he is recognised as an Honorary Royal Academician. The works presented in this exhibition have been developed as part of a long-distance collaboration with the David Krut Workshop and Jillian Ross to create a body of work that defies geographical limitations. 

William Kentridge’s first collaboration with David Krut was in 1992 and the artist / publisher relationship has continued for thirty years with various master printers at print workshops around the world. David Krut Workshop was established in Johannesburg in 2002, and Jillian Ross joined the workshop in 2003, directing its activities alongside David Krut for seventeen years. During this time, Ross formed a close relationship with William Kentridge as his primary collaborating printer on large-scale print projects. Following Ross’ relocation to Canada in early 2020, this exhibition is a culmination of this long-term association between Kentridge, Krut, Ross and their supporting teams, recently reimagined in a trans-continental way. 

The Studio Life images are stills from Kentridge’s nine-part film series titled Self-Portrait as a Coffee Pot, which screened for the first time at the recent Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The prints reflect the artist in various phases of work in his studio, and include a huge Laocoön sculpture that only existed for a few days, and Stalin as a Showman from Kentridge’s uniquely created animated film based on Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony, which has been shown alongside a full orchestral performance.  

The second group of gravures includes The Old Gods Have Retired, a twelve-plate assembly, based on a monumental drawing of a tree that Kentridge had created in his studio, which features in the Studio Life series of films and also relates to large multi-sheet drawings of trees in his Royal Academy show. Beckmann’s Self-Portrait with Jam Jar and Scissors and The Mirror Will Not Help are other works that have emerged as a result of this collaboration, and are currently being editioned in Johannesburg. 

For more information, please email info@davidkrut.com.