*I awoke, [from dreams I cannot mention, those I wish to forget, and the sweeter to which I cling like the last vestiges of hope in a wretched situation], to undetermined hours; A Saturday more nebulous than distinct, deconstructed than elucidated - And yet the day was my own personal, malleable, collection of minutes and hours - To craft as my heart desired.*

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/hyrDxA7G-Screen20Shot202019-09-0720at202.27.0520pm.png

That was this morning and whilst languishing in bed on a cold rainy September seventh 2019 seemed quite legit my inquisitive mind hungered for more than a warm quilt, soft pillows and the purring of my cats snuggled around me...And so I ~~bounced~~ dragged myself out of bed, performed the customary morning-time routines and made my way into Adelaide - I'd determined, during my well-practiced morning ~~stupor~~ routine that a visit to the South Australian Art Gallery was in order. ***<a href="http://fourthwallbooks.com/product/2nd-hand-reading/">src</a>***

I'll not sum up the whole visit in this one post, just one small element that I enjoyed by an artist called William Kentridge, a distinctive voice in contemporary art who emerged during the  ***<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid">apartheid regime in South Africa</a>***. 

Kentridge's works draw parallels between art and ideology, history and memory with a firm grounding in the violent absurdity of that period of his country's history. Dealing with various political subjects his style is not instructional, didactic, rather he emphasises the contradiction and ambiguity that is embedded in our relationship with history; It's uncertainty. For me, a lover of history, this is challenging however interesting as history is certainly contradictory and ambiguous in some areas - Any historian, must, agree to this, even if somewhat reluctantly.

Through humour, self-depreciating humour, he reveals his lack of conviction about the artist's role as arbiter, author, of meaning - even in respect of their *own* work.

The exhibition was curated by the man himself and is entitled *That which we do not remember* which could be read as an illusion to the figurative character of many of his works - Drawings erased, redone, or the fleeting imagery of film fragments. 

Its to a short film I come to now. The video is not complete, just a few minutes taken and spliced together by me. There is complete versions to be found in YouTube I believe.

The film combines hundreds of drawings by Kentridge upon pages of the Oxford English Dictionary. The images dance across the page playfully contradicting the rational system of classification the dictionary represents.

William Kentridge says, *This film is in a technical dialogue, with my long-term exploration of the history of film and animation...Appears to be a filmed version of a flip book with pages being rapidly *flipped* to reveal images of a man in perpetual, agitated movement, loping, pacing and running. The figure remains trapped within the margins of each page...Not technically a flip book but made through projecting drawings of a pacing figure on to filmed pages of a book being turned rather than than figures actually being drawn on these pages.* - [Paraphrased] - William Kentridge.

https://youtu.be/KmpMUEb-9wA

The film is ***<a href="http://fourthwallbooks.com/product/2nd-hand-reading/">available in book form</a>*** which would be nice I think but there was something comforting an insightful to see it on film, in the dark, and accompanied by the music and voice.

My father was an accomplished, and published, artist but I gained none of his artistic skills in the form of visual arts. Music was my thing. Because of that failing the visual arts are not something I spend a lot of time with, nor am I an *educated* art critique or appreciator. To me what looks good *is* good, and whilst it may *technically not be* it doesn't matter. My perception is my reality. *This* book/film is good though, at least I thought so and is worth a look in person if you get the chance. 

More tales from the South Australian Art Gallery to come in time. I hope you enjoyed this video.
*** 
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 

Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺
@curangel curator