Art and Photography students visit the RA

At the visit to the RA on 28 September the Lower Sixth Art and Photography students entered a new, immersive world by artist William Kentridge. Kentridge’s work consisted of etching, drawing, collage, film, opera and theatre, sculpture and tapestry, which allowed us to absorb episodes of sound and movement throughout the exhibition. One of my favourite techniques used by Kentridge in his work is his use of a single image that is drawn, redrawn, erased and altered using charcoal and rubber to make his work come alive in animation. The images of erased charcoal trembled and shifted across the many screens set up inside a dark room in the exhibition.

Commonly in Kentridge’s tapestry and other work, he includes flashes of coloured lines, arcs and graphic marks. His work is full of excess and overlaps as he presents some issues of the present day through a historical lens. Some rooms later we saw his series of landscapes and map drawing made from colonial photographs and even experiments made by making charcoal drawings directly onto the walls of The Royal Academy.

Overall, this exhibition was overwhelming yet breath-taking. Kentridge is an artist of cultural scene, intelligence and wit. His artistic style and desire to connect film and drawing has inspired me and other students in the Lower Sixth. This will certainly be an experience that I’ll never forget.

Rosa F, Lower Sixth